Remember how I waxed poetic over the innovation and the “push” for the future that I’d ascribed to F1? Well, now I see F1 as the sport with its head still half-buried in the past.
As mentioned at the tail end of my last F1 article, I was first introduced to Formula E when it was invoked as a negative comparison for the current 02026 F1 Regulations. Those regulations refer to the new split of the powertrain systems, with the percentage of fuel and battery usage rebalanced toward a roughly 50/50 hybrid. The shift has led to complaints and controversies between drivers and constructors all across the grid.
But what does Formula E actually look like? With F1 apparently inching toward a fuller shift to electric racing, I felt it prudent to look into the championship that already lives there.
On the evening of 3 March 02011, FIA President Jean Todt and Spanish businessman Alejandro Agag (now Formula E Chairman) sat down at a Paris restaurant and sketched out, in just a few words on a napkin, what would become the world’s first all-electric single-seater championship. According to the official website, the mission was “to show just what sustainable mobility was capable of, driving electric vehicles to the fore in the race for a better, cleaner future.” They’ve achieved that in flying colors.
In the twelve years since its first season in 02014, Formula E has been actively pushing the envelope of electric vehicle manufacturing and design. The sport began with the comparatively primitive electric racers of the mid-2010s, where drivers had to physically swap into a second car partway through every race because the battery couldn’t go the full distance. Today, the GEN3 Evo’s Pit Boost system delivers a 10% rapid charge in a 30-second mandatory pit stop, technology with direct implications for the road cars charging in your driveway.
The number of developments coming from this sport is sneaking its way into the electric car manufacturing of the future, and unlike F1, there are a few more recognizable names on the team roster. Nissan (running as Nismo), Andretti, Jaguar, Porsche, and Citroën are all here, and rather than building teams purely for Formula 1 prestige, these manufacturers are looking toward the future and doing so in style.
In Formula E, the approach to racing is fundamentally different from F1. Everything here is about efficiency, from energy lost to energy regained. The sad truth about F1 is that those loud engines are actively bleeding potential energy off as sound and heat. If you’ve ever stood next to a moving electric vehicle, you were probably shocked at how quiet they are. They do make a sound, but it’s many times quieter than an internal combustion engine.
That isn’t much of a problem here. Formula E cars do make a sound, a very distinct and futuristic one at that. I can best describe it as an exponentially aggressive teapot by way of jet engine. These vehicles literally scream down the track at speeds rivaling and at times exceeding F1’s. That is the beauty of an electrically driven vehicle. The GEN3 Evo, currently in use for the 25/26 season, also known as Season 12, accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in under two seconds.
The design of the cars has changed a few times, and as I mentioned above, the current model is known as the GEN3 Evo. It’s the third generation of Formula E machine with a few tweaks, which is where the “Evo” part comes in. The future is just around the bend, however, and starting in the 26/27 thirteenth season, the brand new GEN4 will be set loose on the world.
The GEN4 made its public track debut at Circuit Paul Ricard last week, and the early reactions have been telling. Former champion Jake Dennis described it as “an absolute beast,” which tracks given that Formula E is billing it as the most powerful single-seater in the championship’s history. The performance numbers haven’t been fully released yet, but the philosophy underneath the car is what really sells the story Formula E is trying to tell. The bodywork incorporates recycled carbon fiber. The battery is free of rare earth minerals. The whole machine is certified as the world’s first 100% recyclable race car. Where F1 is busy debating how much battery is too much battery, Formula E has built a car that is essentially a closed-loop performance statement. Citroën Racing also grabbed headlines during testing with a bold red-and-black camouflage livery that fans loved enough to lobby for its retention, though the team has since clarified it’s a transitional design ahead of a fuller French-heritage identity for Season 13. The point is, Formula E is driving the future of motorsport onto a track you can watch this weekend.
I’m very excited to see this new model compete, with its “Batmobile-like” design. I was already in love with the GEN3 Evo’s design language, particularly the X-shaped rear running lights and the brilliant blue Attack Mode indicators. Oh yeah, I should probably mention that piece of this brilliant puzzle.
If F1 2026 seemed like it accidentally drew comparisons to Mario Kart and its “Mushroom” boost mode, Formula E has intentionally leaned into the same playful idea with Attack Mode. Originally added as a tactical dimension to draw more eyes to the sport, Attack Mode gives drivers two opportunities per race to leave the racing line, drive through a designated activation zone on track, and unlock a temporary power boost to 350 kW with all-wheel drive. Get it wrong, and you’ve handed your rivals free positions; get it right, and you’ve got the speed to actually use them. It’s the kind of strategic wrinkle F1 only wishes its current rules produced naturally.
Stay tuned here to the dmatiq Dispatch, as this Friday, I have a preview of both Formulae and the further goings-on across the motorsport world!
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