Royal approval

Formula E battery tech brings Williams Queen’s Award

Williams Advanced Engineering has been recognised for its development of the Formula E batteries by receiving the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation.

The batteries powering the Formula E cars since its inception have all been developed by Williams Advanced Engineering, with near-perfect reliability. Each battery is expected to be in use for two seasons, and its reliability record supposedly stands at 99.8 per cent.

It also highlighted the short timeframe in which the battery technology was required and developed, with a 12-month turnaround between design and the opening race.

Williams appears to be spearheading the UK’s switch to electric cars, joining forces with Aston Martin not only for the upcoming RapidE but also for the Advanced Propulsion Centre with a number of other partners. Its aim is to create a high-performance and flexible battery supply capability in the UK.