A BATTERY developed in Oxfordshire is helping electric cars in the inaugural Formula E championship reach speeds of 125mph, and the technology is expected to soon enable the cars to recharge wirelessly.

Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE), the technology and engineering services business of the Williams Group that races Formula 1 cars, devised the battery at its campus in Grove, near Wantage.

The FIA, the world governing body for motor sport, approached WAE in May 2103 to come up with a battery that could power all of the 40 cars in the Formula E series, which started in Beijing last month.

WAE has been working on batteries since 2009, and has had success with a Jaguar hybrid supercar, buses, and an Audi that won Le Mans.

But the race was on to have a suitable battery ready in time, with only six months to develop a prototype, four months to test, and another three months to manufacture.

WAE operations manager Gary Ekerold said the Beijing race proved the battery was both reliable and safe. He said: “We’re trying to demonstrate that electric cars can be sexy and practical.”

FIA established the Formula E championship “to get people to think about electric cars in a different way”, and not as “boring” vehicles.

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A spokesman said: “This technology is still in its infancy. We are learning all the time.”

Mr Ekerold thinks that in about five years the racing cars will be able to recharge wirelessly by driving over pads under the track at top speed.

The batteries are currently plugged into a charger for about 45 minutes.

The 10 Formula E teams have two cars each for one driver, with each car lasting 20 minutes during each race, with a five-minute pit stop for changeover. “Lasting 20 minutes is a substantial challenge,” said Mr Ekerold, of the WAE’s 200 kilowatt batteries.

In the first year of the championship, all of the cars are uniform. WAE supplies the batteries, McLaren the motor, Hewland the gearbox, and Dallara the chassis. The cars are assembled by Spark Racing Technology. Next season, however, teams will be able to source batteries, motors and gearboxes from different suppliers.

The championship’s 10th and final race will be held in London on June 27, 2015.

WAE is also looking for other ways to use its batteries outside of the auto industry.

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