Formula E's Cutting Edge Electric Race Car, GEN3, Explained

MIA Member, Formula E Operations have shared the following news article.

Formula E's Cutting Edge Electric Race Car, GEN3, Explained

Formula E has come a long way in less than 10 seasons. We've strode through two astronomical leaps in electric car performance and driven the revolution with the leap from GEN1 to GEN2 and on to the world's fastest, lightest, most sustainable electric race car ever: the GEN3. So, how fast is the Formula E GEN3 car? How big is its battery and how does the GEN3 Formula E car perform?

While the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is just nine seasons old, as we approach Season 10 and the opening race in Mexico City, the on-track technology is ever-evolving and has undergone revolutionary changes in that nine-year spell. We've come a long way since we made our debut back in 2014...

How much power and how big was the battery in Formula E GEN1, and how fast could it go?

In Season 1, back in 2014, Formula E ushered in a revolution with the all-electric open-wheel GEN1 car - a first of its kind in motorsport. In the nine short years since, we waved goodbye to that initial era of mid-race car swaps and welcomed the next step-change in technology for Formula E with GEN2 in Season 5. More power and almost twice the usable energy capacity, effectively doubling range despite its battery being about the same size and weight as its predecessor. 

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From GEN1 to GEN2, as well as a huge jump in energy capacity, pace and performance kicked on a notch, too. Power output jumped from 150kW to 200kW in race trim between Season 1 and Season 7, with ATTACK MODE yielding a further 10kW and qualifying mode boosting power to 250kW. This shaved 0.2 seconds off the 0-100km/h sprint, which was reduced to 2.8 seconds - pushing top speed up to 280km/h (174mph) from 225km/h (140mph).

For Season 8 and GEN2's swansong, power was increased to a baseline 220kW with ATTACK MODE hitting the maximum output of our second era at 250kW or 335bhp.

The GEN3 revolution: faster, lighter and more sustainable

Season 9 saw Formula E's third great leap and the GEN3 era, with the all-new GEN3 car, previewed and launched at the 2022 Monaco E-Prix, hitting the track for the first time in Valencia, at testing, that same year.

NEW TO FORMULA E? Catch up with every race from Seasons 1-9 in FULL!

The 2022/23 campaign saw the culmination of eight years of world class electric racing and everything learned by Formula E's teams and engineers hit the track - it's the pinnacle and intersection of high performance, efficiency and sustainability. The new GEN3 is lighter, smaller, faster and more sustainable than what came before, and incorporates a number of cutting edge features set to inspire and inform major automotive manufacturers into their next moves in the consumer car market while showing there need not be compromise in an electric racing car.

READ MORE: GEN3 explained

It's also the most efficient race car on the planet, with some 40% of the energy it expends recaptured for use through the rear and a new front powertrain, for up to 600kW total energy regeneration. So, that's not only a leap in power of almost 1.5x - bringing about a 0-100kmh sprint of around two seconds - but a near-doubling of regen capacity.

Every aspect of GEN3 production has been rethought, redesigned and rebuilt to ensure the car sets the benchmark for high-performance, sustainable racing without compromise, while all suppliers must complete a life-cycle assessment of their products. For example, natural materials have been introduced to tyres, batteries and bodywork construction with life-cycle thinking at the core.

Early evolution: The fastest electric race car in the world

Before the leap to GEN3 and even GEN2, GEN1 itself saw a number of changes. In Season 2, the regulations were opened up to allow manufacturers to design their own motors, inverters, gearboxes and rear suspension, with power also bumped to 170kW (230bhp).

READ MORE: Formula E's cutting-edge cars and technology

For Season 3, a mid-life refresh for GEN1 introduced a redesigned and stronger front wing to better cope with the rigours of street racing, whilst regen saw a 50 percent improvement in efficiency thanks to a major battery technology upgrade - all while reducing the car's overall minimum weight by eight kilos.

GEN1's swansong came in Season 4 with GEN2 on the horizon, but we still saw another 10kW bump to overall power. Then came GEN2 with its raft of changes and the ability to run a full race on a charge, and far faster than its predecessor. Safety improvements were built into the new car in the form of the FIA-mandated halo device and ATTACK MODE added an extra layer for drivers and race engineers to get their heads around - with a risk/reward power boost to incorporate into race strategies.

ATTACK MODE was made more potent in Season 6, being raised from 225kW to 235kW, with regen now so efficient that the FIA mandated a 1kWh reduction in usable energy for every lap spent under the BMW i Safety Car or full course yellow - meaning energy management would always remain a key component to any race-winning drive.

Every step of the way from GEN1, GEN2 to GEN3: Brazilian Lucas di Grassi, Season 3 champion

Lucas di Grassi has been with Formula E since day zero, pre-Season 1, in fact, and was there throughout the championship's formative moments before we got underway in 2014/15.

At that time, creating an all-electric open-wheel championship of the scope of Formula E was a tough ask. Nothing of its kind had been attempted before and the technology, though available, was very much in its infancy.

The 2016/17 champion said it was a case of using what was sure to work, before opening up the platform for manufacturers to tinker and develop - driving the race-track to road philosophy that is at Formula E's heart, as the series pushes clean, sustainable mobility forward - with what would take five years in the automotive sector taking just one in Formula E.

“The GEN1 car had to use technology that would be capable, as nobody had produced an electric racing car like it before,” said the Brazilian. “So, it was relatively simple – pretty basic in fact – but with scope for teams to make improvements and develop things.

“As soon as the technical restraints were opened up (from Season 2), you saw performance and efficiency improvements right away. A five-year development programme in the real world, aiming to create a 10 per cent efficiency saving from the motors, was completed in just a year of competition in Formula E.

“By Season 4, we had the big step coming with GEN2. By then, people had learned best practices – what was right and what didn’t work quite so well – so a leap forward was possible. Moving from two cars to a single car was huge.

"As technology develops, electric cars will be able to go faster and further. The pace of development is incredible," adds di Grassi. "The point at which electric cars are cheaper, safer and easier to operate than combustion-engined cars is not far away at all and Formula E is accelerating that process. Combustion won’t be able to keep up.

"The purpose is to create a better, cleaner, safer future for mankind with innovation and technology. In general, people will naturally go for convenience and necessity, as well as the cheapest, best solution for them. So, we need to create technology that fills this gap and serves this purpose, then, the best option will be the most sustainable one – that’s the win-win situation to chase.”

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