Formula E unveils new Gen3 electric racecar

The Formula E Gen3 race car will debut in the 2022-23 season.  

Unlike most motorsports where vehicles race on dedicated circuits or courses, the Formula E cars run on tight street circuits, and while you can argue that these circuits are purpose-built and make for some exciting racing action, they aren’t what you’d call, um, accommodating. To ensure that cars can race with each other closer than before, even in the confines of street circuits, the new Gen3 is both shorter and lighter than the Gen2 Formula E racer and features a lot of cool upgrades.

Yes, the new Gen3 car is lighter, which is primarily due to its smaller battery capacity. Why smaller? Because the Gen3 can harvest more energy than the Gen2, producing up to 600kW regenerative power. The new braking system involves no mechanical brakes at the rear. Instead, the stopping duties are solely handled by the regen system at the rear. Thanks to this, the Gen3 will run up to 40% of the race distance on just regenerated energy, hence the lower battery capacity.

The power comes from a new 350kW (469bhp) motor at the rear and a 250kW (335bhp) at the front. The batteries, produced by Williams Advance Engineering, are recyclable after the end of their duty cycle. To further improve the sustainability quotient of the sport, the Gen3 uses linen and recycled carbon fibre in its bodywork. Speaking of which, the new body has been shaped to resemble a fighter jet.

There are a lot more intricate details on the Gen3 car, and we can’t wait to see its debut next season. For now, though, Formula E will head to Monaco on April 30.

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