Formula E has unveiled its most formidable improvement but: the Gen4 race automotive. It is fast, with a jaw-dropping 0-60mph time of simply 1.8 seconds. That is faster off the road than a Formula 1 automotive. Set to debut within the 2026-27 ABB FIA Method E World Championship, the Gen4 is the following evolution of electric vehicle motorsport.
Method E, which had its first season in 2014, was initially handled as a curiosity by motorsport followers. The early vehicles had been environment friendly, however not that quick. And the noise — or lack of it — left many followers unimpressed. However over the previous decade, the collection has matured from a low-whir novelty right into a high-stakes, manufacturer-backed competitors.
It is now a proving floor for electric car know-how, and with Gen4, Method E may need simply stepped out of F1’s shadow.
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An enormous improvement for electrical motorsports
The Gen4 automotive is considerably larger than the present Gen3 Evo automotive, with two distinct aero configurations and extra aggressive bodywork styling.
The Gen4 is the quickest and most superior automotive the Method E championship has ever fielded. With 600kW of energy on faucet — equal to over 815 horsepower — the automotive options lively all-wheel drive all through the race. It additionally introduces superior aerodynamics with two setups: a high-downforce mode for qualifying, and a low-drag configuration for race situations, dubbed Assault Mode.
In Assault Mode, the Gen4 automotive delivers full energy for dramatic overtakes, and its regenerative braking system now peaks at 700kW. The electric car will get better vitality so effectively that 40% of the automotive’s race energy can come from braking alone. The vitality capability has additionally been elevated to 55kWh, opening the door to extra aggressive race methods.
The Gen4 automotive is constructed from 100% recyclable supplies
Whereas the Method E Gen4 racing automotive may look much like a Method 1 automotive, there’s loads completely different for followers to take pleasure in.
Efficiency is simply a part of the equation. The Gen4 is constructed from 100% recyclable supplies and incorporates not less than 20% recycled content material all through its design.
In line with Jeff Dodds, CEO of Method E, the Gen4 is “excess of a race automotive. It represents over a decade of progress, innovation, and ambition in electrical racing.” He referred to as it probably the most demanding and sustainable machine Method E has ever constructed.
Marek Nawarecki, senior circuit sport director on the FIA, the governing physique of motorsport, echoed that sentiment, noting that it “raises the bar” and offers producers extra room to showcase road-relevant applied sciences than ever earlier than.
The automotive is now coming into testing with the groups within the championship, together with Porsche, Nissan, Stellantis, Jaguar and Lola Vehicles. Every producer will fine-tune the platform utilizing their very own vitality administration methods. The look of the Gen4 automotive may also change considerably, as every crew unveils its personal distinctive livery.
Will Method E step out of Method 1’s shadow?
Whereas the Method E Gen4 automotive may not look very colourful but, every crew will add their very own livery earlier than the racing automotive hits the monitor.
This newest leap in know-how could possibly be the second Method E grabs the eye of a broader viewers — notably those that as soon as dismissed it.
“A lot-maligned by some racing naysayers, I believe Gen4 may be the machine that propels Method E nearer to the mainstream, given the massive leap in speeds,” mentioned Jack Oliver Smith, deputy editor of Motorsport Week. “The speedy lap occasions these vehicles are anticipated to clock, and the know-how that has gone into this, will undoubtedly appeal to these within the sustainability side, but additionally the final racing purists who might have dismissed Method E previously.”
For a sport that has lengthy been seen as the way forward for racing, Gen4 may simply be the automotive that lastly brings it into the current.
