November 5, 2025 - Formula E Unveils 4th-Gen Car

This is the Telemetry Transportation Daily for  November 5, 2025, and I'm Sam Abuelsamid, Vice President of Market Research for Telemetry.  

The FIA Formula E championship is about to begin its 12th season, and that means it's time to reveal its fourth-generation race car that will compete in season 13. Formula E is the only global race series exclusively for electric single-seat cars, and it has come a long way since launching in 2014. The series uses a spec chassis that is raced by all teams with a common battery pack. However, manufacturers are allowed to develop their own powertrains for the cars and also supply those powertrains to other customer teams. Each generation of car is raced for four seasons, with an evolution kit made after two seasons. 

The improvements in technology have dramatically increased the capabilities of the cars over the years. The first-generation cars had a top speed of 140 mph, and the limited range meant that drivers had to stop midway through a race and switch cars to complete the 45-minute race. The current Gen-3 car has increased nominal race output from 200 to 350 kW, top speed has risen to almost 200 mph, and they can now do a 30-second high-speed charge boost during the race. 

The Gen-4 car will increase output to 600 kW, along with 700 kW regenerative braking capability, and features full-time 4WD. The energy capacity for each race has been increased by 43% to 55 kWh. Formula E has always had very close racing, thanks in part to an aerodynamic design with relatively low downforce that enables the cars to run in close proximity compared to other series like Formula 1. The new design now has two aero configurations with a high downforce setup for qualifying and a low downforce for the races to maintain the ability to run close. Cars also get traction control and anti-lock braking. 

I've been to a few Formula E races, and the competition is always exciting, with almost anyone capable of winning on a given day, depending on how efficient the cars are and how the drivers manage their energy use to recapture as much energy under braking as possible so they have it left to use at the end of the race. It's also a family-friendly atmosphere with most races happening on street circuits in cities, and cars that make noise without being too loud. The added speed of the new generation cars should make things even more interesting. 

Thanks for listening.