16 Jul The history of Formula E’s cutting edge race cars from GEN1-2-3 to GEN3 Evo
MIA Member Formula E Operations has shared the following news article.
The history of Formula E’s cutting-edge race cars from GEN1-2-3 to GEN3 Evo
Formula E has come a long way in just over 10 seasons. We’ve raced through two astronomical leaps in electric car performance and driven the revolution with the leap from GEN1, GEN2, GEN3 and on to the world’s fastest most sustainable electric race car ever: the GEN3 Evo.
While the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is just 10 full seasons old, the on-track technology is ever-evolving and has undergone revolutionary changes in that 10-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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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