Formula E has yet to conclude a compelling Season 10, ready to provide excitement in the remaining nine rounds of the 2024 championship, but behind the scenes it is already working on the future, both immediate and long-term.
In fact, starting from next season the Gen 3 Evo will make its debut, the evolution of the current Gen 3 on track from the beginning of 2023. The new single-seater, unveiled in the splendid setting of Monte Carlo, will take to the track for the next two championships, namely in 2025 and 2026, before making room for the great revolution of Gen 4. The importance of the Gen3 Evo project must not be underestimated, because for Formula E it will be a bridge towards the future, especially for some technical innovations already present on this generation intermediate.
The car's acceleration has been significantly improved, with a 0 to 100 km/h time of 1.82 seconds, but more importantly, overall performance has also taken a step forward: it is estimated that in Monaco the intermediate generation may be about 2 seconds faster. Furthermore, the motor-generator located on the front axle will also be unlocked during traction, not just charging, although this possibility will only be granted at specific moments of the weekend, i.e. during qualifying and during the Attack Modes.
An important aspect is that teams will be able to adapt to the Gen 3 Evo by directly upgrading existing chassis, as the latter have not been modified. This will help save costs and reduce discarded components.
Formula E Gen 3 EVO
Photo by: FIA Formula E
Look faithful to Gen 3, but with some new features
As per tradition, on an aesthetic level the car has been revolutionized, but has maintained several points in common with the basic version of Gen 3. A process already followed in the past for the evolutions of Gen 1 and Gen 2 which, in terms of chassis and of bodywork, they maintained the same concepts except for changes to the look.
Compared to the current generation, the most significant aesthetic changes of the Gen 3 Evo concern above all the front end of the single-seater. The front wing has in fact been revised with three objectives: to differentiate it from the Gen 3, improve safety and increase efficiency.
This area of the car has often been criticized over the last year and a half, particularly after the accident involving Nico Mueller's ABT Cupa in Portland last season: in that case, after a contact the wing got stuck under the tyres, making the car undriveable until the hard collision with the barriers. Other similar episodes, although fortunately with lesser consequences, pushed the FIA together with Spark to review part of the project.
The front wing of the Gen 2 was considered much more robust, especially because it was also connected to the wheel arches improving its reliability even in the event of contact. However, the decision to eliminate the wheel covers on the Gen 3 made the front area more fragile, which is why some elements have been redesigned on the Gen 3 Evo, for example strengthening the wing supports.
The new front wing of the Gen 3 EVO: note the shape of the endplate
Photo by: FIA Formula E
The upper plane that connects the nose to the endplate now attaches directly to the highest end of the latter. The shape of the endplate itself has been modified: while maintaining the inward inclination, the upper part has been revised, which now widens outwards to connect to the profile which then connects it to the muzzle. This is an aspect that should not be underestimated because, compared to the Gen 3, this shape induces a sort of outwash effect by pushing the air outside the front tires, like a sort of “screen” that will improve the efficiency of the car.
Another modification, albeit of lesser impact, is linked to the presence of an additional element in front of the rear tires, located in the upper part of the side. This addition should help to more effectively manage the flows and turbulences generated by the rolling of the tires.
Finally, the bellies of the single-seater have also been slightly revised. All these changes also aim to reduce drag and improve overall efficiency, so that energy management is not as critical as already seen during the first two years of Gen 3.
Motor generator unlocked at the front
Another great innovation will be the motor-generator unlocked at the front even during traction. The Gen 3 is in fact equipped with two motor generators: the first is located at the front (250 kW), while the second is on the rear axle (350 kW) and this has allowed the regenerative capacity to be doubled compared to the Gen 2.
Formula E Gen 3 EVO
Photo by: FIA Formula E
However, the front motor generator was only used in the energy regeneration phase and could not be used in the traction phase. After various test sessions, including those with the Gen 3 BETA, Formula E has decided to take a step forward, unlocking the motor-generator positioned at the front, which will therefore also be able to transmit power to the wheels. The maximum output generated by the engine placed on the front axle will be 50kW, while the remaining power to reach 350 kW will be generated by the rear axle.
However, this innovation will only be exploited in some situations established by the organizers of the world championship, i.e. during the qualifying duels, at the start of the race and in the Attack Mode activation phases. In fact, therefore, it will be activated in those moments in which during Gen 3 it was allowed to use the 350 kW mode, with the addition of starting. This will also allow it to reach 0-100 km/h in just 1.82 seconds.
Updated tires to provide more grip
Another new feature will be the modification of the tyres. Since the beginning of the Gen 3 technical cycle, drivers have complained that the tires supplied by Hankook, clearly under indications from the FIA and Formula E, were too hard, providing little grip.
As Lucas di Grassi himself explained in an interview with Motorsport.com, these cars, in addition to having little aerodynamic load, have tires that do not allow the maximum to be extracted from the technical package available. The lack of grip, for example, causes rear slippage to increase when the 350 kW mode is activated.
Hankook tires: a new specification will debut in 2025 that will provide more grip
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
For this reason, together with the Gen 3 Evo, Hankook will debut a new specification of its all-weather tyres, which should guarantee an increase in grip estimated at around 5-10%. This is not a revolutionary fact, but it will still be a small step forward while waiting for Gen 4.
Teams will be able to upgrade the Powertrain
Precisely on the subject of Powertrain, with the Gen 3 Evo manufacturers will finally be able to update their units also at a hardware level. In fact, each manufacturer had to homologate their engine at the beginning of the current Gen 3 cycle, but without being able to make further changes during Season 9 and Season 10 due to the freezing of components.
The only changes allowed were those at the software level, where each individual team has the freedom to intervene within certain parameters, in order to make braking, energy consumption and the energy regeneration phase more effective.
Formula E Gen 3 EVO
Photo by: FIA Formula E
However, with the Gen 3 Evo the manufacturers will also be allowed to intervene on the hardware components and this will prove useful especially for those teams that started the current technical cycle late. For example, Mahindra had to make a real race against time to homologate its unit before the start of the 2023 world championship: this meant that the Indian Powertrain was not only inefficient, but also above the minimum weight, with a disadvantage estimated at around a tenth of a second per lap.
Although it will be possible to intervene only within certain parameters, in any case this possibility will guarantee manufacturers the chance to improve some critical aspects of their respective Powertrains, which will then remain frozen for another two seasons until the debut of Gen 4.
#Gen #Evo #revealed #Monaco #track