FE | Gen 4 Roadmap: It will be a bigger leap forward than expected

There are still two double events left on the Season 10 calendar at the end of the world championship, for a total of four races which will award the three titles still in play, namely drivers, teams and manufacturers. Although the focus is clearly still on a championship finale that still has a lot to say, behind the scenes Formula E is already working for the future.

Next year the Gen 3 Evo will debut, the evolution of the current single-seater which should guarantee a performance leap of around two seconds thanks to some technical features. However, in two years the real revolution will arrive, when the Gen 4 will take to the track, a car from which Formula E expects the biggest step forward in the history of the electric category since its creation.

The first details had already emerged last year with the publication of the various tenders, thanks to which some characteristics of the battery, tyres, chassis and front engine were revealed, in a first general picture. However, the FIA ​​has now revealed the technical roadmap for Gen 4, as well as the registration phase for manufacturers who want to sign up for the next technical cycle of the all-electric category. There is no shortage of surprises, so one might even think that the next generation could be a larger leap than what was initially expected.

Updates after two years, also on the tires

As during Gen 3, the Gen 4 cycle should basically last four years, however dividing the period into two sections. The next generation Powertrains will once again be homologated for the first two years and, in this period of time, the teams will be able to improve their products by intervening only via software.

An aspect not to be underestimated because the teams make the software part a great tool for improving performance even from one year to the next. However, there are limitations that are difficult to overcome by working only on the software, as they directly affect some hardware components. For example, at Mahindra the Indian team currently has to deal with a Powertrain that is not only overweight compared to its rivals, but also less efficient than the reference units.

For this reason, as in Gen 3, also in Gen 4 the manufacturers will have the opportunity to intervene on some hardware elements after the first two years, in order to give all manufacturers the opportunity to improve their respective Powertrains and continue development with useful knowledge to transfer to the road field.

The Gen 3 EVO which will debut in 2025. There will also be an intermediate evolution in Gen 4

Photo by: FIA Formula E

However, it will not only be the engines developed by the manufacturers that will be updated after two years. As in previous generations, Gen 4 will also see some aesthetic changes after two seasons, with an Evo version which will modify some aspects to give the car a new look.

On a technical level, however, there should be nothing new, given that the energy that can be used in the race will remain around 55 kWh, to which will be added the energy put back into the car during the charging pit stop, which however has yet to be confirmed. Even with the future “Gen 4 Evo” the maximum power will remain 600 kW in qualifying mode and 450 kW in the race.

The only difference on a technical level for the 15/16 seasons should be the possible introduction of a new tire by Bridgestone with a grip increased by 5% compared to that used in the first two years of the generation. An aspect that had not emerged in the tenders with which the Federation had opened up the possibility for manufacturers to register their offer for the supply of tyres. With a tire that should offer more grip, they will consequently also improve in performance, so much so that the FIA ​​itself expects an 8% improvement in terms of lap times compared to those that the cars will achieve next season with the Gen 3 Evos .

Because Gen 4 may be a bigger leap than expected

On paper, the Gen 4 cycle should last 4 years, so much so that the manufacturers have signed an agreement with Formula E until 2030. However, according to what emerged in the technical roadmap released recently by the FIA, Gen 4 could have a longer life longer than expected, with a significant leap in performance.

WAE battery for Gen3: with Gen 4 it could reach 66 kW

Photo by: Andreas Beil

In fact, there is the possibility on the table that the next generation will be extended by another two years, i.e. Season 17 and 18. To maintain costs, in terms of characteristics the chassis should remain the same used in the other championships played with the Gen 4 from 2026 to 2030, but many aspects would change.

For example, the battery would go from the future 55kWh of the first four seasons to as much as 66kW, giving more charge to be exploited in the ePrix. In fact, although it is true that the maximum power in qualifying will not change, that in the race could rise from 450 kW to 600 kW, reaching the same level as that on the flying lap. Likewise, there could be another marked leap in terms of tires, thanks to a further increase in grip of around 10% compared to that of Season 15, when the updated tires with which the “Gen 4 Evos” will take to the track will debut. .

Furthermore, in terms of aerodynamics and bodywork there should be another renewal of the look with which greater performance could be achieved: we must not forget that with Gen 4 two different load-level packages will also debut, so there will be a learning path with which be able to further improve the product.

The FIA ​​is the one providing the first idea of ​​the leap in performance level. Compared to Season 11, the first with the Gen 3 Evo, the governing body expects that in the first seasons with the Gen 4 the lap times in qualifying may drop by 7%, and then drop further by 1% with the Gen 4 Age. However, the step forward in Seasons 17 and 18 should be much more marked, because it is expected that the times could drop further by 3% compared to Season 15, or 11% less than those recorded next year with the Gen 3 Evo.

Considering that the evolution of Gen 3 will already guarantee a leap forward estimated at around 2 seconds, in Season 17 we could achieve performances similar to those of Formula 2 on a reference track such as Monaco.

Registration for Gen 4: here are the deadlines

In recent weeks, four manufacturers have already confirmed their presence in Gen 4, namely Nissan, Jaguar, Porsche and, finally, Lola. Among the current members, confirmation from ERT and Stellantis, which has both the DS and Maserati brands under its umbrella, is currently still missing. These manufacturers will have until June 30 to confirm their participation, with Stellantis evaluating how to advance its strategy in a sector it has believed in for a long time.

The cars on the starting grid before the race

Photo by: Alastair Staley / Motorsport Images

However, this does not mean that registrations for the next generation which conclude in June will preclude the possibility of new manufacturers making their entry in the future, as has already been seen with Lola with Gen 3, with the British brand making its debut next season halfway through the technical cycle.

Formula E’s desire for some time has been to have an Asian manufacturer, perhaps Chinese, or American, two particularly important markets. Although there have been approaches over the years with various manufacturers, no concrete solution has been reached, but if any manufacturer wanted to make its entry during Gen 4 they could do so in each of the seasons foreseen by the cycle. For Season 14 the registration deadline is January 31, 2026, while for Season 15 the deadline is January 31, 2027.

Season 15 could represent the most suitable season to make its entry, because during that championship the manufacturers will be able to make changes to their engines by homologating new Powertrains. In fact, this would give some manufacturers the opportunity to enter the middle of the technical cycle, when Formula E generally renews its cars, as happened with Lola which chose to debut together with the Gen 3 Evo.