# Ep. 16 | DS TECHEETAH's Mark Preston Talks Dominance in Formula E Motorsports

- Show: [Moore's Lobby](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby)
- Published: 2021-01-21
- Length: 44m
- Episode: 1
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-01-21-ep-16-ds-techeetahs-mark-preston-talks-dominance-in-formula-e-motorsports
- Listen: https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/podcast/ep-16-ds-techeetah-mark-preston-formula-e-motorsports-ev-design

## Summary

Mark Preston, founding team principal of DS TECHEETAH and founder of Street Drone, discusses the engineering and strategic dominance of his team in Formula E, including the evolution from 5-speed gearboxes to direct drive motors and the critical role of driver-managed regenerative braking. He explains how Formula E serves as a high-performance prototyping lab, accelerating the transfer of technologies like battery management and power electronics to road cars such as the DS3. Preston also outlines his career trajectory from hazardous material tankers and Formula One simulation to autonomous vehicle development, emphasizing the importance of rapid iteration and solving complex problems at the cutting edge.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-01-21-ep-16-ds-techeetahs-mark-preston-talks-dominance-in-formula-e-motorsports#t=0) Introduction and DS TECHEETAH's Success
- [5:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-01-21-ep-16-ds-techeetahs-mark-preston-talks-dominance-in-formula-e-motorsports#t=317) The Unique Challenges of Formula E Racing
- [8:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-01-21-ep-16-ds-techeetahs-mark-preston-talks-dominance-in-formula-e-motorsports#t=498) Energy Management and Attack Mode
- [12:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-01-21-ep-16-ds-techeetahs-mark-preston-talks-dominance-in-formula-e-motorsports#t=742) Drivetrain Evolution: From Gearboxes to Direct Drive
- [17:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-01-21-ep-16-ds-techeetahs-mark-preston-talks-dominance-in-formula-e-motorsports#t=1048) Technology Transfer to Road Cars
- [19:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-01-21-ep-16-ds-techeetahs-mark-preston-talks-dominance-in-formula-e-motorsports#t=1169) Mark Preston's Career and Autonomous Vehicles
- [25:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-01-21-ep-16-ds-techeetahs-mark-preston-talks-dominance-in-formula-e-motorsports#t=1512) Sustainability, Second-Life Batteries, and Renewable Energy
- [34:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-01-21-ep-16-ds-techeetahs-mark-preston-talks-dominance-in-formula-e-motorsports#t=2081) Global Renewable Infrastructure and Future Outlook

## Topics

- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Batteries & low-power design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/batteries-and-low-power)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up, early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- DS TECHEETAH (company)
- DS Automobiles (company)
- Street Drone (company)
- Oxford Yasser Motors (company)
- McLaren (company)
- Arrows Grand Prix (company)
- Super Guri (company)
- Honda (company)
- GM (company)
- Porsche (company)
- Mercedes (company)
- Red Bull (company)
- Toroso (company)
- Tesla (company)
- VW (company)
- DS3 (product)
- Formula E (other)
- Formula One (other)

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