Formula E and FIA unveil radical Gen4 car design with new technology

Written by Vyas Ponnuri

Formula E and the Federation Internationale de L'Automobile (FIA) unveiled a radical, striking prototype of the Gen4 Formula E car to the public, featuring a fresh design and marking a major transition from the current Gen3 Evo Formula E cars.

The design of the Gen4 Formula E car | Credit: FIA

The new design features several designing tweaks. The most notable one is the presence of an active rear wing and front wing design that will take the performance of the cars closer to other single-seater counterparts such as Formula 3 and Formula 2 cars.

The rear wing contains two different drive modes, with a high downforce setting to be used during qualifying sessions, in a bid to allow drivers to carry more speed into corners and be at the peak of their handling capabilities. A low downforce mode will be in use during the race, in an attempt to give cars more speed down the straights, and opening up opportunities for more overtaking moves into corners.

The Gen4 car also features greater performance, with upto 450 kW (approx. 603 hp) of power available to drivers in regular race trim, and 600 kW (approx. 804 hp) of power available in attack mode, a figure that stands almost double that of the current Gen3 Evo machine. For reference, these figures stand at 300 kW (approx. 402 hp) and 350 kW (approx. 469 hp) for the Gen3 Evo cars that will take to the tracks in Season 12.

These figures should put the Gen4 car on track to become the fastest accelerating race car on the planet, even beating the current Gen3 Evo's 0-60 mph time of 1.82 seconds.

The Gen4 Formula E car will feature upto 700 kW of regenerative braking power, up from 600 kW for the Gen3 Evo car, allowing drivers to save more energy in the braking zones, enabling more competitive races and battles between drivers.

The race energy usage will also stand at 55 KWh, up by 43% from the Gen3 Evo car, providing drivers with access to more energy output during the race, and helping in bolder race strategies.

Another major change sees all-wheel drive (AWD) become an active feature on Formula E's Gen4 cars, a difference from the current Gen3 Evo that only sees AWD activated only when drivers take attack mode during the race. This will give drivers unmatched traction right from the beginning of the race, allowing for faster average lap times during a Formula E race.

This extra bout of traction will be aided by unlimited traction control and the presence of the anti-lock braking system (ABS) on the car, assisting drivers in pushing much harder during a Formula E race.

The Gen4 car will be Formula E's fastest yet | Credit: Formula E

On the sustainability side of things, the Gen4 car props up top: Every part on the car is fully recyclable, and the Gen4 car itself is made up of 20% recycled content, which is double as compared to the Gen3 Evo car. This makes the Gen4 Formula E car the most sustainable motorsport machine, pushing Formula E's ambitions to become a more sustainable championship with every passing season.

Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds hailed the ground-breaking Gen4 Formula E car, mentioning how it represents the sheer progress Formula E has made over a decade of existence.

“The GEN4 is far more than a race car. It represents over a decade of progress, innovation, and ambition in electric racing. Co-developed with the FIA, it stands as the most advanced, demanding, and sustainable machine we’ve ever built, redefining what’s possible in performance and environmental responsibility.

With GEN4, Formula E strengthens its position as the world’s most forward-thinking sport and a true racing pioneer.”

His words were strongly backed by Alberto Longo, Chief Championship Officer, Formula E, who too hailed the pioneering characteristics of the Gen4 machinery.

"The GEN4 is designed for the pioneers of tomorrow. The new technical capabilities, from 600kW of power to active all-wheel drive, will test our drivers like never before. It's a car built for wheel-to-wheel battles and pure racing action.

"I’d like to thank our partners at the FIA for their collaboration in this incredible innovation, and we look forward to further collaboration as our manufacturers and teams hone these machines with their performance experts. Together with the FIA, we've created the most challenging Formula E car to master, and we can’t wait to see the incredible racing it will deliver for fans around the world," Longo said.

Formula E's teams will be able to get their hands on Gen4 machinery in mid-November, in the form of a test session at Monteblanco. The test session at this track will see the five powertrain manufacturers who have committed to the upcoming Gen4 era — Nissan, Jaguar, Lola ABT Yamaha, Porsche and Stellantis, finetune their machines, and test out the Gen4 machinery for the first time.