Oliver Rowland has described Formula E’s GEN4 car as “a huge step in the right direction” after completing his first running in the new machinery.
The Nissan Formula E Team released Rowland’s first impressions of the car as the championship prepares to move towards its next technical era. Seven races remain in the GEN3 era, with GEN4 set to make its first official appearance at pre-season testing in November ahead of Season 13.
The new car will bring a major increase in performance compared to the current GEN3 package. Race power will rise from 300kW to 450kW, while Attack Mode will increase from 350kW to 600kW. Formula E will also introduce active all-wheel drive, which should give the cars more grip and increase cornering speeds.
For Rowland, the change immediately felt significant.
“The power the GEN4 car has is quite eye-opening,” the Season 11 World Champion said. “A lot of that extra power comes from the front, which is pretty unique and something we need to get used to as drivers. The performance of the car is a big step up from GEN3.”
“Honestly, it’s really impressive. The high downforce offers lots of grip compared to what we’re used to and there’s so many new technical options, with the differential, four-wheel drive and more power on the front axle. We’ve got almost double the power, so the acceleration is incredible and everything happens a lot faster. The chassis has also been upgraded, which is a huge positive for us as drivers, because the GEN3 car is quite uncomfortable.”
Rowland identifies power steering as key adjustment
Formula E introduced its last major car change ahead of the 2022/23 season, when the championship moved to GEN3. The shift to GEN4 will again force drivers and teams to adapt, especially as the car brings more power, higher speeds and new technical tools.
Rowland said he built confidence during the test, but admitted that power steering required the biggest adjustment.
“I got more and more familiar with the car throughout the test and got up to speed quickly. Power steering is the biggest thing to get used to; I’ve not used it too often in my career. I had to learn how to feel the limit of the car through the steering, trying to optimize it in terms of performance, power and driving style.”
“The power and the downforce are other key differences, the top speed is higher, as are corner speeds. A lot will depend on how we set the car up from a technical perspective, but I definitely had to drive in a slightly different way. Though, to be honest, it felt quite natural to try and extract the maximum from it.”
“The GEN3 car never suited me in terms of the braking, personally, so the GEN4 feels like a positive step. I think that from a qualifying perspective it may allow me to drive the car in a similar way to how I used to drive in GEN2, which is good for me.”
GEN4 could reshape Formula E racing
Formula E has developed a distinct racing style during the GEN3 era, with energy saving, Attack Mode strategy and pack-style racing often shaping E-Prix weekends. GEN4’s higher performance could change that balance, although Rowland said the final racing product would depend on the finer details of the regulations.
“The type of racing relies a lot on energy management. If Formula E can keep the traditional energy saving and Attack Mode races then it will still be interesting and unpredictable, which is a huge part of why people love the series. It really depends on the finer parts of the regulations, the increased speed could make it more like traditional single-seater racing with fewer overtakes, but I don’t think this would work in terms of putting on a show.”
“There are a lot of unknowns, I haven’t followed a car yet to see what that’s like, but the tires are robust so there shouldn’t be too much degradation. There are several factors that may need to be tweaked during the early GEN4 races to find the right formula and continue to produce the great racing we’ve seen in recent years.”
“It’s a huge step in the right direction for Formula E,” Rowland adds. “It will look impressive from the outside and all the drivers are really excited about it. I think it will give Formula E even more credibility and drivers from other categories will have even more respect for it. When we compare lap times, I’m sure we’ll see a big jump forward.”
Nissan prepares for Formula E’s next era
Nissan has already committed to Formula E’s GEN4 era, which will run until 2030. The Japanese manufacturer became the first to sign up for the next rules cycle and will continue with Rowland and Norman Nato as its driver pairing for Season 12.
The team will continue developing the GEN4 car before pre-season testing later this year. Before then, Rowland’s focus will return to the final races of the GEN3 era, with the next E-Prix scheduled to take place in Sanya, China, on 20 June.
