Dubai and Riyadh, 7th December 2023: The next phase of progress and evolution of Formula E came one step closer as the FIA confirmed the choice of suppliers for the GEN4 race car – set to debut in Season 13 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in 2026/27.
With Formula E just nine seasons old, the on-track technology is ever-evolving and has undergone revolutionary changes in that short spell and has come a long way since its debut back in 2014.
The tender process completed by Formula E and the FIA took on thorough analysis of all bids submitted, evaluating the technical specifications of each product as well as a host of supporting aspects.
As with GEN3, GEN4’s tender process saw sustainability take centre stage as a key pillar for Formula E. Suppliers were required to identify all of the measures they are taking to optimise their products’ sustainability credentials, reduce their overall emissions and resource consumption through a life cycle assessment process -right from the beginning. In addition, all unavoidable emissions are offset as part of Formula E’s net zero commitment.
GEN4 will be a net zero race car by design like its predecessor but the boundaries of what is possible in this space are to be pushed yet further.
Chassis: Spark Racing Technology will continue to supply the chassis’ to Formula E, as it has done since our inception
Batteries: Podium AT - an Italian company with success across a variety of motorsport projects, will step up to become an FIA World Championship single supplier for the first time
Front powertrain: Marelli – extending the Italian brand’s longstanding working relationship with the FIA
Tyres: Bridgestone – marking the manufacturer’s return to an FIA World Championship for the first time in a decade-and-a-half
Season 9 saw Formula E's third great leap and the intro to the GEN3 era, with the all-new GEN3 car previewed and launched at the 2022 Monaco E-Prix and hitting the track for the first time in Valencia, at testing, that same year.
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. The 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.
It's also the most efficient race car on the planet, with almost 50% of the energy it expends recaptured for use through the rear and a new front powertrain, for up to 600kW total energy regeneration.
Every aspect of GEN3 production was rethought redesigned and rebuilt from the ground up – in a process led by FIA Formula E Technical Manager Alessandra Ciliberti - ensuring the car embodies the benchmark for high-performance, sustainable racing without compromise, with all suppliers required to complete a life-cycle assessment of their products.
The future
Informed by the boundary-pushing GENBETA and the pioneering GEN3, the next evolution for Formula E is set to be GEN3.5, which will hit the track in Seasons 11 and 12.
Activation of the front powertrain in drive and use of four-wheel drive in certain scenarios, softer compound, ultimately quicker tyres and bodywork/aero tweaks are all on the table as possibilities, with lap times projected to be several seconds faster than is currently possible with GEN3 as it stands.
Beyond that, the GEN4 era will bring the next major leap for the series, ensuring Formula E remains at the bleeding edge of world championship electric motorsport.