Formula E Gen3 inspired by fighter jet "delta wing" ready to take to the streets in Season 9

While Season 8 of the FIA Formula E World Championship is set to get underway in January 2022, the series provided a glimpse into the future, with a first look at its “Gen 3” car. It will debut in Season 9 and promises to be the series’ “fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient racing car ever”.

The Gen 3 was revealed exclusively to a select group comprising Formula E manufacturers, teams, drivers, and partners in Valencia, Spain, where pre-season testing for Formula E Season 8 is currently ongoing.

At the launch, FIA President Jean Todt described the Formula E Gen 3 as:

“A machine created at the intersection of high performance, efficiency and sustainability.”

While the car wasn’t revealed in its entirety, a detailed feature-list was released by Formula E and the FIA.

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Formula E Gen 3 set to be "world's most efficient racing car"

Formula E teams can begin testing and developing their Gen 3 cars from Spring 2022 onwards. (Image courtesy FIA/Formula E)

Based on the series’ officially-listed technical features, the Formula E Gen 3 car is set to be a significant improvement on its predecessor in terms of efficiency and performance:

• The world’s most efficient racing car – at least 40% of the energy used within a race will be produced by regenerative braking during the race.

• The first formula car with both front and rear powertrains: a new front powertrain adds 250kW to the 350kW at the rear, more than doubling the regenerative capability of the current Gen2 to a total of 600kW.

• The first formula car that will not feature rear hydraulic brakes due to the addition of the front powertrain and its regenerative capability.

• An electric motor delivering up to 350kw of power (470BHP), capable of a top speed of 200mph (320 km/h), with a power-to-weight ratio that is twice as efficient as an equivalent 470BHP internal combustion engine (ICE).

• Lighter and smaller than the Gen2 to enable faster, more agile wheel-to-wheel racing.

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Sustainability a major focus with Formula E Gen 3

As with the last two generations, sustainability has been one of the deciding factors behind the design of the new car. As per the series’ press release, the Gen 3 has been designed with:

"A clear path towards second life and end of life for all tires, broken parts and battery cells."

Here’s how the Formula E Gen 3 hopes to continue building on the last two generations from a sustainability point of view:

· The Gen3 will be net-zero carbon, maintaining the Championship’s status as the first sport to be certified as net-zero carbon since inception.

· All broken carbon fiber parts will be recycled by an innovative process from the aviation and aerospace industry into new fibers reusable for other applications.

· A pioneering process will deliver 26% sustainable materials into the composition of tires.

· The Gen3 is powered by electric motors that are substantially more efficient than ICEs as they can convert over 90% of the electrical energy into mechanical energy (motion) compared to approx. 40% in high efficiency ICEs.

· All suppliers are held to strict sustainability KPIs, notably achieving FIA 3* Environmental Accreditation certification by Season 9.

Formula E teams will receive the Gen 3 cars around Spring 2022, following which they will be able to commence testing and development work around it. Meanwhile, Season 8 will continue alongside until August 2022.

Meanwhile, Formula E’s Season 8 will get underway on January 28, 2022 in Diriyah, South Africa and end in Seoul, Korea on August 14, 2022 after a total of 16 races. Nyck de Vries and Mercedes-EQ will be looking to defend their drivers’ and teams’ championships respectively.