In the lead-up to this autumn's COP26 event in Glasgow, through our 'Oxfordshire gears-up for COP26' series, we will be showcasing the many examples of how Oxfordshire’s immense energy expertise is being applied to exploring the boundaries of future energy and, ultimately, a drive towards a zero-carbon future:
Oxfordshire-based Williams Advanced Engineering has been awarded the contract to supply batteries to the all-new eSkootr race series (eSC) which begins later this year. The series, which will be run on street circuits across the world was created as an accessible, dynamic and sustainable sport which promotes micromobility.
The race derived WAE battery has been tightly packaged to fit the scooter frame of 380x225x88 mm. The battery weighs less than 10kg and with a 1.5kWh rating, the scooter will reach speeds of 100km/h.
Range will be around 20 minutes, with riders having the choice of two modes for power delivery; conventional and boost which will deliver maximum power along the straights, much like the boost mode in Formula E.
Due to the speeds at which the riders will be travelling, there is an internal isolation device fitted for safety and a motorsport connector used for reliability.
A one-off prototype was completed in September last year when the first track tests began; further tests were conducted in January 2021, when final performance figures were confirmed.
High performance battery expertise lies at the core of WAE. The company was the original supplier of batteries to the entire grid of FIA Formula E World Championship cars in 2014, a relationship that has been revived for 2022-23 season. WAE also supplies battery systems to ETCR and Extreme-E and designed and developed an electric hub motor for the Brompton electric bike.
Iain Wight, Business Development Director at WAE, said “We are delighted to be part of this pioneering race series and have enjoyed the challenges presented by both the packaging and the timing of the programme. Using our motorsport experience we have been able to deliver a solution that offers not only power and performance, but also safety and reliability which will be critical in a series such as eSC.”
Hrag Sarkissian, eSkootr Championship™ co-founder and CEO, added: “We’re delighted to continue our relationship with Williams Advanced Engineering. We couldn’t have asked for a better partner with whom to develop eSC’s battery technology. Their expertise and experience within the industry is unparalleled, and has enabled them to rapidly design and build this first unit.
“Our aim now is to ensure this first-spec is working durably, reliably and efficiently for all our entrants ahead of our first race.”
The 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (or 'COP26') takes place in Glasgow this November. The summit brings parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
In Oxfordshire, the low carbon energy sector generates £1.15bn a year. Over the past half-decade, the county has attracted £2bn in foreign direct investment. Oxfordshire’s Energy Strategy backs a drive towards zero-carbon growth by 2050 will help to spearhead a further £1.35bn annually to our economy, creating at least 11,000 new jobs in the low-carbon sector by 2030.
