Disappointed by Formula E’s plan for its next car? Here’s an alternative

Enlarge / The future Formula E car will look almost nothing like this. (credit: Matthias Kulka/Getty Images)

Formula E only adopted its second-generation electric race car at the beginning of last season, but the motorsport is finalizing plans for the next iteration-called Gen3-set to debut in season nine (2022/2023). The plan is to make the car more powerful and lighter, with more ability to regenerate energy under braking. It will even adopt mid-race fast-charging. All of that is an improvement on the Gen2 car, but here at Ars, we can't help but feel that Formula E is missing an opportunity to be bolder. And we're not alone. Lucas di Grassi-season 3's champion-has his own idea for the direction Gen3 should take, and it's one the EV crowd will probably like.

Formula E's plan

Formula E's plan for the Gen3 car is evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Power is going up, with 350kW (469hp) available in qualifying, compared to the current 250kW (335hp), which will put speeds somewhere between Formula 3 and Formula 2. (Power output during the 45-minute races is capped at 300kW/402hp.) The battery is going to get considerably lighter, weighing 397lbs (180kg) compared to the current 547lbs (248kg), albeit with a slight reduction in capacity to 51kWh.

The battery will be able to charge at 600kW, more than twice the power of even the best EVs on sale today. That will enable mid-race fast charging, which will add 4kWh in 30 seconds. And the cars will be able to regenerate energy under deceleration at the same power level, thanks to a front-axle 250kW generator unit that works in conjunction with the 350kW motor-generator unit (MGU). However, the front wheels will only regenerate energy-there's no plan to allow the cars to deploy power to the front wheels, unlike just about every high-performance electric road car on sale or in development.

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