Category: Formula E

Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds has shed some light on the championship’s decision to delay the introduction of fast-charging pit stops, which were initially expected to be implemented last season in conjunction with the arrival of the GEN3 car.

That was then moved back to this season, with tests at the opening two rounds of the season planned and later shelved following problems at the pre-season test in Spain and the first round of the season in Mexico. An anticipated race debut at the recent Misano X-Prix was also scrubbed.

At a media briefing ahead of the launch of the GEN3 Evo car (pictured below), Dodds explained the rationale behind the continued delays, saying that the charging technology itself — which enables teams to gain an additional 10 percent of energy in just 30 seconds — is at a point where it works, but suggested that issues arising after the charge is completed are to blame for the hold-ups.

“Where we are right now is that the technology has been proven to be successful,” he said. “We’ve tested it and it absolutely works, we can recharge it. But there are some slight challenges after the event of fast charging that we’re trying to iron out.

“At the moment, we’re not 100-percent confident we could launch that into a race and there wouldn’t be an issue today. There might not be an issue, but we’re not 100-percent confident.”

Dodds added that he’d rather Formula E focused on additional testing to get everything completely right before a proper rollout, either with next season’s GEN3 Evo, or earlier should the upcoming tests prove successful beyond doubt.

“What I’ve said to the team is don’t launch it,” he said. “No one wants to see a race that’s decided by an issue with fast charging.

“We’re halfway through Season 10; when we get to Season 11, we’re going to launch a new car into the world, so for me it makes more sense to keep testing, do an extensive race, modified test in Valencia later this year, and if it all works brilliantly, then introduce it into Season 11 with the GEN3 Evo car.

“Now, it could be that I’m wrong and over the next couple of weeks, or couple of races, they test it and they get to a point where they say, ‘We’re really confident this is good to go.’ In which case, we might deploy it earlier. But my instinct is it’s more likely to be for Season 11, at the start of the GEN3 Evo era.

Dodds also pointed out the huge challenge being undertaken, with no other charging application, in motorsport or otherwise, able to charge at the rate Formula E is trying to achieve, and insisted that the series shouldn’t feel bad for delays as it continues to develop the groundbreaking technology.

“I think I’ve said this to a few people — a few of the people in my organization feel really challenged when people question them about the launch of fast charging, because there was talk of it in in Season 9, there’s been talk of it in Season 10, and they get quite defensive about why it hasn’t launched.

“We’re trying to develop technology that doesn’t exist today in the world, to be able to charge 10 percent of a battery in 30 seconds, we’re right at the cutting edge of technology. So we should never apologize for trying to develop new technology. And that’s tough, that is difficult.”

Formula E has revealed its new GEN3 Evo race car, set to make its competition debut next season — a car that’s faster than the one it will replace, and tougher, too.

As the name suggests, the new car represents a progression from the GEN3, which is only in its second season of competition. Power (600 kW with regen), and the dimensions (5.016m x 1.7m) all remain the same as the outgoing car, as does the ability to have a 30-second, 600kW high-speed charge for Formula E’s anticipated introduction of fast-charging pit stops.

But thanks to a raft of upgrades throughout the car, there’s expected to be an overall performance gain of around two percent — equating to around 0.2s a lap. And that’s despite a modest weight gain of 19kg, taking it to 859kg overall including the driver.

“When I arrived in the business, one of the first things I saw was the development plan for the GEN3 Evo, and as a fan joining the business, not as the CEO, I looked at the step change in performance of that car and my question was, ‘Why isn’t this GEN4?’” Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds said of the new car’s performance gains in a media briefing ahead of the car’s unveiling in Monaco on Thursday. “It feels like the leaps in performance and technology are similar to what you saw from GEN1 to GEN2, and from GEN2 to GEN3.”

Among those improvements is all-wheel drive, which is being introduced for the first time.

While the outgoing car has a front powertrain to handle regen, the new car will have full AWD available for qualifying duels, race starts, and Attack Mode to improve acceleration — the dash to 60mph being completed in just 1.8s, which is 30 percent quicker than a Formula 1 car and around a 0.2 improvement on the current Formula E car — and grip, while adding another element of strategy in terms of when and where it is utilized.

There is also new bodywork which will not only aid the racing product thanks to improved aerodynamics, but it’s also more robust to cope with the rough and tumble of Formula E’s tight street circuits, too.

That aero is paired with better tires from Hankook, which are said to provide up to 10 percent more grip, according to the series. Hankook remains the spec tire supplier, fulfilling its final two seasons before Bridgestone takes over. Once again, the specification will be an all-weather tire with road relevance.

“We get asked lots of questions (like), ‘Why aren’t you on slick tires? Why aren’t you on high performing tires?’ and there’s a number of reasons for that,” Dodds said. “Partly sustainability, because we don’t want teams to be taking hundreds of sets of tires with them around the world for races. But it’s also partly because our manufacturers can take the tires that we work with in the race series, and variations of those tires can be used within their road cars. And we’ve just seen that, actually. We just saw Stellantis (represented in Formula E by DS and Maserati) launch the Abarth 600e, and they effectively launched it with a variation of the Formula E racing tire.”

The tires are also made from 35 percent recycled and sustainable materials (a nine percent jump from the current rubber), helping the car remain the world’s only net zero race car, with its production having a net zero carbon footprint and the car itself being made with recycled carbon fiber. The batteries are produced with minerals selected based on ethical and sustainable mining standards and will be recycled after use.

The car’s introduction comes at the same time as the expiration of the current homologation period for OEM-developed drivetrain elements. Once again, specific areas are open for development and will be subject to another two-year period of being locked in before the GEN4 car arrives in 2027.

But while this mid-cycle refresh is very much a new car in its own right — and teams have ordered new cars as well, they won’t be retrofitting GEN3s — it doesn’t mean Formula E has jumped the gun and inadvertently made the upcoming GEN4 less impressive by rolling out updates before that car’s 2027 debut.

“We probably could have squeezed a bit more technology and a bit more performance out of the GEN3 Evo if we’d have kept everybody working 24 hours a day,” Dodds said. “I think the sense is we didn’t need to do that because this is a material jump.

“But GEN4 and the specifications of GEN4 is a massive jump again, just through a battery size and capacity point of view, from a total power output point of view, from a styling and design point of view, (and) from a performance of the car point of view.”

Inaugural F1 Academy champion Marta Garcia will drive for ERT in Formula E’s rookie test following the Berlin E-Prix next month.

It will be Garcia’s first time in a Formula E car, and will also mark the first time a female driver has taken part in an official Formula E session since former-W Series driver Alice Powell drove in the 2020 rookie test for Envision Racing.

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“I am thrilled to join ERT Formula E Team for the Berlin Rookie Test,” said the 23-year-old Spaniard, who is competing in the Formula Regional European Championship this season with Iron Dames. “Formula E represents the future of motorsport, and I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity to experience it firsthand.

“I’ve been following the championship closely, and I’m eager to get behind the wheel of the ERT X24 car and contribute to the team’s development. This test is a stepping stone in my career, and I’m determined to make the most of it.”

Alex Hui, team principal of ERT, hailed the addition of Garcia to his team for the test, saying, “Marta’s exceptional talent and achievements in F1 Academy are undeniable.”

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Marta García to the ERT Formula E family for the Berlin Rookie Test.

“This test serves as a fantastic platform to showcase her skills within the dynamic environment of Formula E. We are confident that Marta will quickly adapt to the unique demands of electric racing and provide valuable insights for the team.”

Already the only driver to win multiple Formula E titles, Jean-Eric Vergne added another record in the all-electric series to his résumé at last weekend’s Misano E-Prix: The DS Penske driver’s sixth- and seventh-place finishes in Italy helped him overhaul Lucas di Grassi to become Formula E’s all-time leading points scorer.

“I’m obviously very happy to have this record and to have collected all those points, as it’s a reminder of how far I have come since making my debut in Formula E,” said Vergne. “Now, what interests and motivates me more than anything is the points that I am yet to score in the future! We need to collect a lot more from the next races.”

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As well as Formula E’s points record, Vergne has 11 wins to his name, fourth all-time — and his four wins in the 2017-18 season is the equal second-best campaign recorded by a driver — while his 16 poles is equal to Sebastien Buemi as most all-time.

Like di Grassi, Vergne has been in Formula E since the very first season, entering the championship at its third race in Punta del Este, Uruguay. After seeing out that first season with Andrett Autosport, he aligned with French manufacturer DS, racing with it at Virgin Racing in season two, before spending two campaigns with Techeetah as an independent team — the second of which netted him his first title.

DS joined with Techeetah for the 2018-19 season, and Vergne duly secured a second title. He then followed the manufacturer to Dragon/Penske Autosport in 2022-23, the start of the GEN3 era.

“JEV is a truly great champion. (he) is an extremely talented individual and a very hard worker who always desires to go one better and constantly aims for this goal,” said DS performance director Eugenio Franzetti. “His way of thinking has always been very useful to us as a team, as it helps us make progress. Furthermore, our DS Automobiles brand ambassador brings motorsport experience to all the engineers who work on the road cars of today and tomorrow. His dedication and expertise are a huge asset for the marque.”