Formula E unveils its next-gen all-electric race car

Formula E, now known as ABB Formula E, says that “today marks the start of a new era of electric racing.”

The racing championship unveiled its next-generation electric race car that will power the next season.

They didn’t release the specs yet, but they did reiterate that it will feature almost twice the energy capacity, which will enable them to race without a mid-race car swap:

“Designed to be used for the next three seasons, the car will make its competitive debut in the 2018/19 season of the series. With almost double the energy storage capacity and double the range of the current car, the Gen2 will enable the teams and drivers to complete a full race at higher speeds, without making a mid-race car swap. With all that, the Gen2 car is clear proof of the advancements in battery and electric motor technology achieved in the space of only four years, which will eventually make its way into everyday electric road cars.”

Here are the renders that they unveiled today:

Formula E Founder and CEO Alejandro Agag commented on today’s unveiling:

“This car represents the future of racing. When we started Formula E, our goal was to break the mould and challenge the status quo – bringing a revolution to motorsport. This next generation car represents that revolution.”

The vehicle will be unveiled in full on March 6 2018 at the Geneva motor show.

Electrek’s Take

The next-generation car will also come with more flexibility for the racing teams.

Teams are currently limited in the modifications they can do the cars, which they have to change mid-race as the demanding performance depletes the battery packs very quickly, but the next generation is expected to fix that with a new battery pack developed by McLaren and automakers will be able to tweak their own cars.

Those recent changes have apparently convinced several major automakers to join the championship.

Last year, BMW announced plans to enter the Formula E in season 5 with its own team while Audi confirmed that they are taking over the ABT Sportsline team, which they had been sponsoring in prior seasons.

Mercedes-Benz also announced that it will join the Formula E under its own team, but during season 6 in 2018-2019. Nissan is joining Formula E electric car racing starting with 2018-19 season.