The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team and LADbible team up for sustainable energy in MatterLabs

Produced in collaboration with LADbible, the cutting-edge online news and content platform, Matter Labs combines creative engineering, drama and good fun. Your hosts are presenter and co-creator Anna Ploszajski and Benjamin Tinegate-Smith, a Product Design Engineer. In each episode they are challenged by the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team to create mechanical inventions that work using alternative, sustainable sources of energy. And boy, do they come up with the unexpected!

In one episode, Anna and Ben are challenged to build a car powered by nothing but air: Their solution is a model radio-controlled car powered by compressed air cylinders. With the air pressure in each compact canister at 300 bar (about 200 times that of a Formula E tyre) the pressure is on. Literally. But will it work? Enter André Lotterer and Pascal Wehrlein, to take the air-powered vehicle through its paces. How effective is it? You’ll have to watch and see…

In another episode, the presenters are tasked with designing the ultimate gaming chair, incorporating a PS4 and monitor screen, drink dispenser and cooling fan, run using only human power. Their solution is a futuristic frame that incorporates a modified bicycle wheel and pedals. Kinetic energy from the spinning wheel is converted into electricity. Avid gamers, André and Pascal are super-excited to give it their best shot. But it isn’t that easy. In order to generate the 180W power required they finds themselves pedalling like triathletes. Good thing they are racing-fit!  
   
While the experiments are out-of-the-box, they are based on solid science – and backed with the race-tested know-how of TAG Heuer Porsche FE’s very own Oliver Champenois (Lead Race Engineer) and Fabrice Roussel (Race Engineer). 

MatterLabs is the perfect way for TAG Heuer Porsche FE to share our vision of sustainable energy and our commitment to high performance and innovation – traits the LADbible also prizes, which makes this collaboration a natural match. But the final clue to what makes MatterLabs such compelling viewing lies in the name. It’s not only about applying mind over matter; it’s also about what matters to us as humans. By exploring alternative energy sources (just as we do in Formula E) we can strive for cleaner, sustainable energy for our future. And that, ultimately, is what really matters.