I really, really hope FE drops fan boost soon. It's a popularity contest which puts drivers and teams with larger fan bases ahead, and because people tend to back winners it could easily just keep winners winning.
Fan Boosts are taken direct from the pool of stored energy, so they will need to do more energy saving later in the race (according to others who replied to my question), this makes the fan boost fairer-ish (Although track position is king).
@@DrLobster That might be fair but honestly, even if it's 100% fair, they should try to find different way to engage fans. This IMO hurts the brand way too much for what it is.
BINGO! Fan Boost acts like that because, let me see, oh yes, is made/voted by FANS! How amazing is that, no?! Do you really want that someone who never drove this car before get a FANboost without having a FANbase?
Chain Bear F1 They do look pretty...but they only had 21 cars in the groups...5 cars in Super Pole...and The Super Pole shoot out was animated as a mini race that confused a few commenters. I guess they had a short deadline and missed the mistakes 🤷🏻♂️
@@chainbear FE's video's are f'ing horrendous. Made for ppl with a 90 IQ on ritalin. We all know people with a 90 IQ just totally love and understand motorsport..... none do. This is literally the best FE video ever made. I'm fan-boosting the upvotes.
CORRECTION CORNER: So, due to a real lack of info right up to the first race, the finalised lights system was confirmed AFTER this video. So Attack Mode is blue, not red. Sorry for the confusion! ALSO: I think I may have not explained the race length clearly enough. After 45 mins the LEADER crossing the line triggers the last lap, not whichever car happens to be next along the line. The timer reaches zero, the leader crosses the line, then there's one more lap.
You also missed the fact that for attack mode, all drivers MUST use it twice, and each use lasts 4 minutes, period (Ik it's been 8 months, and the season is already done, but yolo)
The fan boost system sounds a bit silly to me but otherwise it seams like a damn cool series. At least a replacement drug for an F1 junkie in the off-season.
That, and using your fanboost also means that you got less energy to spare; which given that nobody knows how long a race will be exactly could get you in an uncomfortable position.
I'm writing this from the future after watching first 2 races in 6th season. The atack mode is now 35kw, and it seams that a lot more overtakes happened with it. The fanboost is unfortuneatly still a thing.
So, first and foremost i completely agree with you but i looked it up and also have my own reasoning for why they do this: The Google Answer: Formula E was from its inception, a racing series based in city centres with the audience in close proximity. The speed limit was in part to allow the track designers to specify the barriers and netting to ensure containment in the event of a crash, but also in part to manage the insurance costs for public liability in the event something went horribly wrong. The risks are not just with the vehicle momentum, but also the fire risk from the batteries being damaged in the crash. Lithium batteries behave much like a lit firework if they are pierced. In reality the cars have a peak speed of around 150 mph, but the actual speed driven is less than this, due to the need to manage the battery charge. My Theory: An engineering answer to a cost problem. Limiting the power is an easy way to reduce costs. My Rebuttals We've seen what unlimited budget can do to make sports(No Balance). Lets introduce caps on costs and profit sharing models we already see in sports with alot of parity within their respective leagues. Shared R&D. Have some races limited within the city but unlimited on the track.
Chain Bear is a god. I was looking around the Formula E official youtube channel, and those 1 minute videos weren't helping me get an idea of what was going on. Here, on the other hand, understanding everything is smooth as honey
same for me. I tried to get to know the sport, but it's just confusing so i was like. Fuck them. I wasted 10 minutes on them. On the other hand, I realise now that FE seems to be quite fun acutally.
Their website makes things more clear. Most those short videos were meant for other social media platforms like Twitter, where it doesn't make a lot of sense making in depth videos. But you're right, there's a bit of a communication problem between FE and it's fans. Hopefully the commentators will clear things up for most people.
6:55 "it's not Formula 1 and not trying to be Formula 1" I wish I could direct everyone here to see this who says "they need slicks and to use real tracks like Spa" 😒🤣
They do need real tracks though. Street circuits are nice but I personally see them more as a "special weekend" race. Kinda like road courses in NASCAR. I think that a larger circuit variety makes for a more interesting championchip as different drivers are good at different kinds of tracks.
@@-ragingpotato-937 special weekend is definitely a good idea, but I don't think formula e is ready for that kind of thing. Street racing makes fe much more exciting with all the condition they have right now. And it's helping them to get more fans as a new racing series. So we'll see in a couple of years to go as the car and tech gets better
@@-ragingpotato-937 FE isn't gonna be ready for full circuits for at least a good few years. The street circuits allow for coasting which helps make the battery last for the race distance. Until the battery performance is greatly improved to the poitn where they can race on full tracks, you're gonna have to get used to street tracks.
1:00 Electric motors are actually really great to work with, delivering instant torque with instant throttle response and on Formula E's street tracks you don't need to worry about the high end torque drop-off. The only reason the cars are so streamlined is to increase range, because building light, high capacity batteries is the limiting factor for every electric car. (FYI: lithium ion batteries typically have a energy density of 200-300 Wh/kg, regular gas around 10000 Wh/kg, which still makes it 10x more energy dense when accounting for the 30% efficiency of a gas Motor compared to the electric 95% efficiency)
The quicker they become more reliant on Super/Ultra capacitors and tech like graphene the better. I like the hybridish setup used now between the Li and capacitors but I hope ultra capacitor tech advances more so they can dispatch more power faster and more effectively whilst boosting recovery.
Also whilst the energy density efficiency is greater on the electric motor than on the gas motor, in comparison, the reverse is true when it comes to dispatching that energy.
When I first heard about fan boost, before I knew anything about formula e, I imagined something akin to the Brabham BT46 or Chaparral 2J. I was disappointed.
@@moobs just because it is a minor effect for the driver himself does not downplay its significance in other areas. Something like this is extremely engaging for fans and i think that people like feeling like they helped their favorite driver more than in other sports where the best you can do is cheer in the stands. personally i dont really watch FE but i might have to since F1 is so far away still.
@@Penguin-kr9do And DRS isn't? Yeah I agree it's a bit artificial but artificial overtaking is creeping into a few motorsports. DTM has its own version of DRS now.
I've been watching FE for the past 3 seasons and have been to every New York E-Prix. I always thought the racing was spectacular despite the lack of noise and loved the quality of drivers. The fact that there's been a different champion every year sows how it's more unpredictable than F1. And I've been an F1 fan since I was a child during the ground effects 1970's. To me watching FE evolve at this stage reminds me of what it might have been like to watch F1 in the early days of Graham Hill, Jim Clark and John Surtees.
I always loved F1 then casually decided to watch an FE race in season 1, it felt so modern and I've been an FE fan since. Nice video explanation, I'll show anyone who has FE interest.
A fun and unique car and race. Not a big fan boost lover, but the attack mode seems like a nice addition. I've watched a lot of the races... itll be great to see what comes in the future. Go Sam Bird :)
A great video explaining the idea behind FE perfectly, thank you Chain Bear! How about another video on FE, explaining the difference between teams cars - what is standardized, what they build themselves, are there customer teams etc.?
Man that list grows and grows. Just like the amount of comments. It really shows what a great work you are doing Stewart. I just remembered the time I discovered your channel with just 3 videos online. That development in mostly one year is astonishing. You are really doing something unique here.
Thanks for explaining it simply to people. Most people have an F1 bias and don't do it properly. I've been an F1 fan for 31 years now (since I was 5) but I also adore what FE are doing. Not 1 part of it can be compared to F1 as people often do. The sport isn't trying to compete with F1 and the misnomer is normally them both using the phrase 'Cutting Edge Technology'. They both are. One is a hybrid series that is 50% heat efficient, churning out over 1000bhp at times, with unique chassis. The other is an all electric one that belts out (in full mode) 335bhp, are torque monsters with identical chassis. Is like trying to compare F1 to GP3 (F3, can't remember what they settled on.) Keep up the great work Chain Bear. F1 brought me here but more FE please.
I don’t really care if the cars are slower, I just want automakers to be able to participate and design their own unique flairs/innovations. What will Honda be trying next year to shake up the competition? Can Alfa Romeo pull together a P1 podium finish with their strange 8 wheeled car? Will Porsche’s decision to completely ditch their mgu-k prove useful with their new lighter car? Fan boost is really silly, it’s literally a popularity contest. Attack mode with F-Zero and Mario kart style boosts is kinda cool, would love to see more things like this in play.
I just checked out Formula E because of this video, and it was really really interesting. The race I just saw had the two leaders battling right to the finish line! Thank you for turning me on to something new.
When you said the attack mode is more like "F-zero mode" you should've changed the text "Mario Kart mode" to it. I'd say a lot of people would've followed that trend when written down ;_; Hopefully more still would.
Great Video! The only thing I dislike about FormulaE is the fan-boost thing... I think it's just not really in the interest of pure racing. It's still a cool sport, and I'd love to see more media-coverage of it, so that it gets more accesible Afterthought: I also don't like that there is no practical way of shortening the name e.g. FE; F-E; Fe; F E.... It all just looks weird :(
Eurosport covers Formula E from the first Session to the last, you have to be Subscribed to their Player though. But at least it is cheap like 5€ a Month. :)
I think fanboost is popular because it allows the fans to be a little more involved. It'd be cool knowing that you helped your favorite driver to make a crucial pass
Actually, Formula E RU-vid channel streams every session, so you can watch it live, or when you want. But yep, it would be nice if common media gave FE more coverage. I would love to have F1 Spanish commentors in Formula E
I had no idea what Formula E was to begin with so this was an interesting watch, however the moment you explained attack mode and brought up how it's like F-Zero and used GX as the example clip sold me on the spot.
I have one question regarding FE: If the cars are locked to 200/250 kW then surely the powertrain doesn't matter very much? Then how can one team get a competitive edge over others given this is not a spec series?
One word. Efficiency. Whoever can utilise the energy better they can run faster for longer. It can be achieved from multiple ways, better motors and better software are the two most obvious one.
The power train is the most important part for that. Because the more it can regenerate and be efficient it can easily be best of anyone. If Renault didn't have crap driver like prost and buemi had fe as highest priority they could have been 3 year straight champion in both constructor and driver. They had so much better power train then the rest they could almost win the race while starting at the back.
Well, F1 enginges are limited in how high they can rev, yet teams still can make them faster by other means. I would assume that the development of powertrains instead goes for higher efficiency, lower weight, durability, that kind of stuff.
You are so gifted as a teacher. (I'm a teacher, and I wish I had half your talent.) I REALLY hope you can find time to teach when you're free from your racing duties.
Fantastic video, I'm Aussie and thinking of travelling to the Hong Kong FormulaE race for a holiday. Tickets are mightly pricy though. Regular tickets (sold out) are around $45 USD, but the next best option after that is $370 USD. bit over the top I feel.
@Nanderlizer Nanderlizer You know that it'll be vital for the research and development in the electric car industry? Just imagine how efficient our road cars could be in just a few years. 1000 km on 1 charge, recharging in 20 min. It will be the future. Plus, if people enjoy watching it, why shouldn't they be allowed to?
@Nanderlizer Nanderlizer Maybe they would research it anyway, but it'll take way longer. Just take F1 as an example. How it pushed research in Chassis, materials, safety mechanisms, and last but not least combustion engines.
I don't find street races as bad as other people do. I mean, in the cool Need for Speed titles you drive in the city. But imagine something better: TOUGE TYPE RACES!!! That saying, i want to point out that street races are cool but kinda boring when there's nothing but them. C'mon FE bois, be creative.
Great explanation. This is definitely becoming one of my favorite sports to watch. I grew up racing hydroplanes and now into Sprint boats. But this is a fun sport to watch because of how technical it is
I love how people's mind has changed. Some months ago you entered the comment section of a Formula E-related post and all you found was hate. Instead, now you enter and you find nice comments and how people finally start to think. As you said, "It's not Formula 1, nor it's trying to be." Hope everyone who says "they should race in Monza or Spa and they sould use slick tires" can watch this video. : )
Yes. They either conserve early or conserve later. Additionally, the drivers only gets 200kJ of fanboost energy to play with. So either use a high power-short duration boost or a lower power-but longer boost.
Thanks for this video ! I really like the new format of these races, it seems really exciting on paper. Having the engineers to prepare the strategy in minutes will be very interesting to watch. However, I think that they need to ditch fan boost.
Great video. Can't take this series serious, tho. The fan boost is against the whole sense of a sport competition. The tracks are usually bad (ye, I know they want to do city races for marketing, but still they are bad). And the most funny thing is that this series is kinda the Plan B for all who managed to fail in F1 and/or have a famous father. The combination of bad tracks and bad drivers is hilarious and looks hilarious on the track.
I've been watching Daniel Abt's channel for quiet some time now, but to be honest I had no real idea about these specifics of Formel E that he's casually mentioning a lot. Thanks for this good explanation!
Fanboost is the reason I have yet to watch this series. In what world did anyone think it would be a good idea to give the most charismatic driver an extra advantage? Racing is not a frikkin' popularity contest! I don't care how small it seemingly is; it's there, and it has the potential to upset races because "Well, I guess people like me a bit more".
@@jfdeforge9946 no it wouldn't. Thats just random luck. A sport should be about skills as much as possible. It should be something every driver has access to in some way or another (once pr race maybe?).
@@nulnoh219 Does that matter tho? All sports have always had faces and heels. It's part of what makes them interesting to watch. Why should popularity be a decider in a game of skill? I dunno about you but I'd rather watch the best man win, as opposed to the big brother approach of "most charismatic".
Was in Berlin to see it live. The insane huge power generator each team had to bring to charge the ecars just showcased how this won't work out and has nothing to do with green racing. They tried to hide it as good they could but well. At least the driving was interesting. Small stret circuits with tons of crashes
If only 5 drivers will get more power than others, this is NOT racing formula. You have to give everyone at least the same options or it is not a fair fight. If it is not inherently fair, it is not sport and thus, not racing. Attack mode, while gimmicky, is still available to ALL drivers. And people eat it up, they are more attracted to the ability to affect a race than thing like integrity, honesty, sporting and such, antiquated ideas of honor.
I would just give everyone fan boost. The fact that it's a one time use thing in an entire race, and the fact that the power still comes from your battery, means it's already got enough depth as it is. I don't think it should be based on fans voting because it can easily turn into a popularity contest.
There's the Fe video we were all waiting for! Chain Bear at its prime content production. Let aside Autosport, the official F-e channel should hire your services
Agreed with the fan boost, that's just a popularity vote, total bullshit and unfair. But the attack mode could be quite nice, it combines joker laps with DRS
Well Fan Boost is the really bad one.. Mario mode would be ok if not for having to go into a special lane or whatever. Seems silly! Anyways- F1 needs to get rid of DRS too. I stopped watching Indy years ago. Coverage was so amateurish and bad, couldn't sit through races any more. Oh well.
I just went and watched the second to last race of last season since they are on RU-vid. I will probably check it out when it starts but I am not a big fan of the extra fan boost and attack mode. It was also hard to adjust to seeing cars go that fast and not hear much of anything.
Great video as always Chain Bear. Just one small thing, The extra point for fastest lap is the fastest lap of the race, and cab only be claimed if the driver is in the top 10, otherwise it is forgotten, not like it is described in the video as 'the fastest lap from the top 10'
I'm not sure about that. The rules and regulations say if the fastest lap is outside the top ten then the driver who did finish in the top ten with the fastest lap gets awarded. So I'm assuming it means the point happens, it just has to go to the top ten?
Thanks! I've finally understood Formula E - and dare I say it, this has increased (however slightly) my interest in it. 👍(I gotta say though, the rules governing Fan Boost - which as you point out only affords a miniscule advantage - seem like *a lot* of fiddle-faddle 🙄)
I've been watching Formula E since the first race in 2014. I just want to say that this is a fantastic video, very well made and a great introduction for new fans. Hope it gets some of your audience to check out our sport.
@06:30, during first race of season in Saudi Arabia Halo was blue for Attack Mode and magenta for Fan Boost... or at least that's what I say / heard it described... ;)
New to channel and like the vids. I can't understand why someone would spend so much time making a great vid, and then upload it at -10db. If you're on a phone or tablet or laptop it hardly matters - they have no dynamic range or else headphones that do, but block out ambient noise. All those people will chime and and say "it sounds fine". But when watching on a home theater that has actual dynamic range you have to crank sound up a lot louder than normal to hear anything clearly. Please boost up audio levels before upload. Thanks.
Its nice that formula E exists, didnt know that before. But its kinda funny, the way you talk about it it sounds like a arcade racing game with seemingly trivial rules
That was a really awesome explanation, as always ;-). Could you present other motorsports such as WRC, WEC, NASCAR, and all those that are less known than F1 please ? That would be so interesting
The trade off to using fanboost or attack mode is higher energy consumption. Strategists will be working overtime to ensure they don't run out of energy
