A Formula E car is a battery electric open-wheel auto racing car made according to the regulations of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) to take part in the FIA Formula E Championship. Races are mainly driven on closed temporary street circuits designed specifically for this racing category.EXPLAINED: How Formula E race tracks are designed and built | FIA Formula E
Generations As of 2026 there have been three major generations of Formula E cars, with a fourth generation planned to begin for the 2027 season. Every two seasons, an updated "Evo" version of the current generation is implemented, often with a more powerful motor system and improved aerodynamics. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Gen2Evo was never raced, though renders exist of what the car would've looked like: Gen1 Season 1: 2014–15 Season 2: 2015–16 Gen1Evo Season 3: 2016–17 Season 4: 2017–18 Gen2 Season 5: 2018–19 Season 6: 2019–20 Season 7: 2020–21 Season 8: 2021-22 Gen3 Season 9: 2022-23 Season 10: 2023-24 Gen3Evo Season 11: 2024-25 Season 12: 2025-26 Gen4 Season 13: 2026-2027
1st generation (2014–15 to 2017–18) Even though the FIA originally planned for the category to be open to various chassis manufacturers,Overview - Official site the only licensed Formula E model for the inaugural season (2014–2015) was the Spark-Renault SRT 01E. The electric components were assembled by Renault while the chassis was designed by Dallara, and the car was assembled by Spark Racing Technology.
In Season 2 (2015–16), the SRT_01E was opened up for private development of the motor, gearbox and rear suspension by the teams.(fr) Nicolas Carpentiers, Formula E : de l’électricité dans l’ère (nouvelle) , F1i.com, October 21, 2015, Retrieved October 26, 2015
The specifications for the Spark-Renault SRT_01E are:
+ 1st generation Formula E car Property ValueAcceleration from (approximately)Top speed225 km/h (FIA regulated) Body materialKevlar and carbon fiber Aerodynamic elementsSpoiler and airdam Gearbox controls Semi-automatic wheel-placed paddle shiftersShock absorbers Torsion bars and springs Brakes Disks and calipers of any material. Round sections in aluminium alloy Rims 460 mm (18 in) diameter Magnesium OZ Racing rims Tires 650 mm diameter front, 260 mm wide 690 mm diameter rear, 305 mm wide
2nd generation (2018–19 to 2021–22)
In March 2016 it was decided by the FIA and Formula E Holdings that the upcoming 2nd generation cars would keep to a specification chassis in a bid to keep costs low in the category. The tender for the 2nd Generation car was won by Spark Racing Technology.
The original battery specifications requested in the tender included a cell-weight limit, a 200 kW peak power limit, and a maximum usable energy of 28 kWh. For the 2018–2019 season, the specifications for the battery was a weight of and 54 kWh energy, and peak power was 250 kW. The cells (18650VTC6) was to be made by Murata Manufacturing, the integration by Lucid Motors, and track handling by McLaren.
Also new for the generation 2 cars was the inclusion of a halo crash protection device.Attack Mode | FIA Formula E
A refreshed 'Gen2 Evo' car was planned to be introduced for the 2020-2021 season, but was cancelled due to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and was instead replaced with the Gen 3 car.
The specifications for the Spark SRT05e are:
+ 2nd generation Formula E car Property Value Acceleration from (approximately)Top speed 280 km/h (FIA regulated) Body materialcarbon fiber Aerodynamic elements Spoiler and airdam Energy source 54 kWh battery by McLaren Applied TechnologiesShock absorbers Torsion bars and springsRims460 mm (18 in) diameter rims Tires 650 mm diameter front, 260 mm wide 690 mm diameter back, 305 mm wide, one set per weekend Mass 900 kg total mass (included driver) 385 kg battery mass
3rd generation (from 2022)
The 3rd generation of Formula E cars are lighter and smaller than the 2nd generation cars to allow for more wheel-to-wheel racing.Formula E Gen3 race car to be unveiled in Monaco | FIA Formula E It will be the first formula car with both front and rear powertrains, with a 250 kW motor-generator on the front axle being used for regenerative braking and a 350 kW motor on the rear axle powering the vehicle. It will be the first formula car not to feature rear hydraulic brakes, and will instead rely on the regenerative capabilities of the engines for braking on the rear wheels, with only a single-use emergency disc brake system to save weight. It is claimed that "at least 40% of the energy used within a race will be produced by regenerative braking during the race". This contributes to the car, at the time of launch in 2022, being claimed as becoming the world's most energy efficient race car ever.GEN3 FACTS: Performance x Efficiency x Sustainability | FIA Formula E Performance-wise, the 3rd generation Formula E cars are expected to achieve around 2 to 4 seconds faster lap times in both qualifying and races compared to the 2nd generation cars.Formula E Gen3: The world's most efficient race car | TechCrunch
After 2 seasons, the car was upgraded to the Gen3 Evo model, which features grippier Hankook tires and the use of the front motor to deploy for all-wheel drive traction in qualifying and Attack Mode to address criticisms about poor grip and the weak effect of Attack Mode in the initial seasons. Additionally, the front wing was replaced with a more robust design.
The specifications for the 3rd generation Formula E cars are:
+ 3rd generation Formula E car Property ValueTop speed320 km/h (FIA regulated)Formula E Gen3 race car to be unveiled in Monaco | FIA Formula E Body materialLinen and carbon fiber, of which some is recycled carbon fibre from retired Gen2 cars Aerodynamic elements Spoiler and airdam Energy source Battery cells with sustainably-sourced minerals; reused and recycled at end of life 600 kW total power potential from regenerative braking (250 kW front motor, 350 kW rear motor) Fast charging 600 kW ultra-high speed chargingGEN3 FACTS: Performance x Efficiency x Sustainability | FIA Formula E Rims 460 or 510 mm OZ Racing magnesium wheels Tyres Tyre compound with 26% natural rubber and recycled fibres; recycled after racing
4th Generation (2026 onwards)
The Generation 4 car is set to make its race debut at the 2026/27 season. It will run in permanent four-wheel-drive specification as opposed to the current car, where four-wheel drive is only active in the duel phase of qualifying, the race start, and in attack mode.
Transmission During the first season in 2014–2015, all teams used a Hewland 5-speed sequential gearbox operated by the driver semi-automatically via paddles on the steering wheel similar to other racing series. In the following seasons, regulations on gearboxes have been relaxed, and some teams have chosen to use either single-speed gears or all the way up to four gears.The ABC of Formula E A transmission with multiple gears can help keep the motor in its most efficient operating range, but whether an electric car needs multiple gears in the transmission depends heavily on the torque curve of the motor at different rotational speeds (r/min).Formula E Transmission Evolution - Hewland Transmissions By season 4 in 2017–2018, all teams were running single-speed gearboxes.Formula E: the electric racing powertrain, explained | CAR Magazine Some single-speed Formula E cars have sometimes erroneously been described as having a "direct-drive" powertrain. However, FIA regulations for the gen 1 and 2 car have mandated a reduction gear, and Formula E cars without multi-speed gearboxes have thus far had a single-speed gear rather than a true direct-drive mechanism. Gen 4 cars will run in permanent four-wheel-drive specification as opposed to the current car, where four-wheel drive is only active in the duel phase of qualifying, the race start, and in attack mode.
Sound The second generation Formula E car from 2017 had a noise level of about 80 decibels, which is 10 dB louder than an average petrol road car or about as loud as a domestic vacuum cleaner.
See also Formula E 2014–15 Formula E Championship 2015–16 Formula E Championship 2016–17 Formula E Championship 2017–18 Formula E Championship 2018–19 Formula E Championship 2019–20 Formula E Championship 2020–21 Formula E World Championship 2021–22 Formula E World Championship 2022–23 Formula E World Championship 2023–24 Formula E World Championship
Notes and references
External links Official site (fr) La Spark-Renault SRT01E en images - Abcmoteur.fr, September 22, 2013