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.[1]
Generations
As of 2024 there have been three major generations of Formula E cars:
- 1st generation (2014–15 to 2017–18)
- 1st season: 2014–15
- 2nd season: 2015–16
- 3rd season: 2016–17
- 4th season: 2017–18
- 2nd generation (2018–19 to 2021–22)
- 5th season: 2018–19
- 6th season: 2019–20
- 7th season: 2020–21
- 8th season: 2021-22
- 3rd generation (from 2023)
- 9th season: 2022-23
- 10th season: 2023-24
1st generation (2014–15 to 2017–18)
.JPG) | |
| Category | Formula E |
|---|---|
| Technical specifications | |
| Chassis | Carbon fiber and aluminium monocoque |
| Suspension (front) | Double steel wishbones, pushrod operated with twin dampers and torsion bars |
| Suspension (rear) | Spring |
| Length | 5,000 mm (196.9 in) |
| Width | 1,800 mm (70.9 in) |
| Height | 1,250 mm (49.2 in) |
| Axle track | 1,300 mm (51.2 in) |
| Wheelbase | 3,125 mm (123.0 in) |
| Electric motor | Season 1: McLaren Electronic Systems[2] Season 2 onwards: various rear-mid mounted |
| Transmission | Season 1: Hewland 5-speed sequential gearbox Season 2 onward: various |
| Battery | 28 kWh Lithium-ion by Williams Advanced Engineering[3] |
| Power |
|
| Weight | 898 kg (1,980 lb) including driver |
| Tyres | Treaded Michelin (dry and wet conditions) |
| Competition history | |
Even though the FIA originally planned for the category to be open to various chassis manufacturers,[4] 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[5] 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.[6]
The specifications for the Spark-Renault SRT_01E are:
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Acceleration | 3 s from 0–100 km/h (approximately) |
| Top speed | 225 km/h (FIA regulated) |
| Body material | Kevlar and carbon fiber |
| Aerodynamic elements | Spoiler and airdam |
| Gearbox controls | Semi-automatic wheel-placed paddle shifters |
| Shock absorbers | Torsion bars and springs |
| Brakes | Disks and calipers of any material. Round sections in aluminium alloy[clarification needed] |
| 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)
 | |
| Category | Formula E |
|---|---|
| Technical specifications | |
| Chassis | Carbon fiber and aluminium monocoque |
| Suspension | Double steel wishbones |
| Length | 5,160 mm (203.1 in) |
| Width | 1,770 mm (69.7 in) |
| Height | 1,250 mm (49.2 in) |
| Axle track |
|
| Wheelbase | 3,100 mm (122.0 in) |
| Electric motor | Various rear-mid mounted |
| Transmission | Various |
| Battery | 54 kWh by McLaren Applied Technologies[7] |
| Power |
|
| Weight | 900 kg (1,984 lb) including driver |
| Brakes |
|
| Tyres | Michelin Pilot Sport All-Weather Treaded |
| Competition history | |
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.[8][9] The tender for the 2nd Generation car was won by Spark Racing Technology.[10]
The original battery specifications requested in the tender included a 200 kg (440 lb) cell-weight limit, a 200 kW peak power limit, and a maximum usable energy of 28 kWh.[11] For the 2018–2019 season, the specifications for the battery was a weight of 385 kg (849 lb) 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.[12]
Also new for the generation 2 cars was the inclusion of a halo crash protection device.[13]
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:
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Acceleration | 2.8 s from 0–100 km/h (approximately) |
| Top speed | 280 km/h (FIA regulated) |
| Body material | carbon fiber |
| Aerodynamic elements | Spoiler and airdam |
| Energy source | 54 kWh battery by McLaren Applied Technologies |
| Shock absorbers | Torsion bars and springs |
| Rims | 460 mm (18 in) diameter rims |
| Tires | 650 mm diameter front, 260 mm wide
690 mm diameter back, 305 mm wide, one set per weekend[14][15] |
| Mass | 900 kg total mass (included driver)
385 kg battery mass |
3rd generation (from 2022)
 | |
| Category | Formula E |
|---|---|
| Technical specifications | |
| Chassis | Carbon fiber and aluminium monocoque |
| Length | 5,016 mm (197.5 in) |
| Width | 1,700 mm (66.9 in) |
| Height | 1,023 mm (40.3 in) |
| Wheelbase | 2,970 mm (116.9 in) |
| Electric motor | Spec Atieva front-mounted, various rear-mid mounted |
| Transmission | Various |
| Battery | 47 kWh by WAE Technologies[16] |
| Power |
|
| Weight | 840 kg (1,852 lb) including driver |
| Brakes |
|
| Tyres | Hankook all-weather treaded |
| Competition history | |
The 3rd generation of Formula E cars are lighter and smaller than the 2nd generation cars to allow for more wheel-to-wheel racing.[18] 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.[18] 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".[18] 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.[19] 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.[20]
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 67 hp (50 kW) 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:
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Top speed | 320 km/h (FIA regulated)[21] |
| Body material | Linen and carbon fiber, of which some is recycled carbon fibre from retired Gen2 cars[21] |
| Aerodynamic elements | Spoiler and airdam |
| Energy source | Battery cells with sustainably-sourced minerals; reused and recycled at end of life[21] 600 kW total power potential from regenerative braking (250 kW front motor, 350 kW rear motor)[21] |
| Fast charging | 600 kW ultra-high speed charging[22] |
| Rims | 460 or 510 mm OZ Racing magnesium wheels |
| Tyres | Tyre compound with 26% natural rubber and recycled fibres; recycled after racing[21] |
4th Generation (2026 onwards)
The Generation 4 car is set to make its race debut at the 2026/27 season.[23] 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.[24]
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.[25] 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).[26] By season 4 in 2017–2018, all teams were running single-speed gearboxes.[27] 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.[28]
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
- ^ EXPLAINED: How Formula E race tracks are designed and built | FIA Formula E
- ^ Corrêa, João (10 September 2013). "McLaren the power behind Formula E". Motorsport.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2013. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
- ^ (fr) Williams s'implique en FE - ESPNF1, June 12, 2013
- ^ Overview Archived 2014-05-19 at the Wayback Machine - Official site
- ^ Ferret, Olivier (15 May 2013). "Renault s'implique en Formula E". Nextgen-Auto.com (in French).
- ^ (fr) Nicolas Carpentiers, Formula E : de l’électricité dans l’ère (nouvelle) Archived 2016-05-31 at the Wayback Machine, F1i.com, October 21, 2015, Retrieved October 26, 2015
- ^ "Formula E Battery - McLaren Applied Technologies". www.mclaren.com. Archived from the original on 2023-01-15. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
- ^ McConnachie, Katy (2016-03-04). "Formula E to remain with single chassis and battery suppliers". The Checkered Flag. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
- ^ Mitchell, Scott (15 March 2016). "Formula E boss Agag does not want chassis competition". Autosport.com. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
- ^ Mitchell, Scott (24 August 2016). "Spark to build new Formula E car, cockpit protection device likely". Autosport.com. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
- ^ "INVITATION TO TENDER FOR SOLE SUPPLY CONTRACT" (PDF). FIA. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- ^ Halvorson, Bengt (October 27, 2016). "Lucid Will Be the Sole Battery-Pack Supplier for Formula E Racing". Car and Driver. Archived from the original on November 9, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
- ^ Attack Mode | FIA Formula E
- ^ Motorsport, MICHELIN (6 March 2018). "ABB FIA Formula E: Michelin reveals the new MICHELIN Pilot Sport". Michelin Motorsports UK. Retrieved 2018-12-13.
- ^ "New Michelin Pilot Sport" (PDF). www.michelinmotorsport.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-12-15. Retrieved 2018-12-13.
- ^ "Formula E Battery - McLaren Applied Technologies". www.mclaren.com. Archived from the original on 2023-01-15. Retrieved 2019-01-01.
- ^ Boxall-Legge, Jake (2023-01-27). "How Formula E's new emergency braking system will work". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 2026-03-05.
- ^ a b c Formula E Gen3 race car to be unveiled in Monaco | FIA Formula E
- ^ GEN3 FACTS: Performance x Efficiency x Sustainability | FIA Formula E
- ^ Formula E Gen3: The world's most efficient race car | TechCrunch
- ^ a b c d e Formula E Gen3 race car to be unveiled in Monaco | FIA Formula E
- ^ GEN3 FACTS: Performance x Efficiency x Sustainability | FIA Formula E
- ^ "The expected suppliers, concepts and specs for Formula E's next generation race car". The Official Home of Formula E. 2025-06-19. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
- ^ "First look at Formula E's fastest and most powerful car for Gen4". The Race. 2025-07-24. Retrieved 2025-11-09.
- ^ The ABC of Formula E
- ^ Formula E Transmission Evolution - Hewland Transmissions
- ^ Formula E: the electric racing powertrain, explained | CAR Magazine
- ^ "What people are hearing at Montreal's inaugural Formula e event".
External links
- Official site
- (fr) La Spark-Renault SRT01E en images - Abcmoteur.fr, September 22, 2013
