It’s a no-brainer that the new generation of Formula E cars will be quick. Acting CTO Dan Cherowbrier explained that the Gen 4 car could actually get close to F1 standards. He also shares a quick insight on how the development phase is going at the moment.
Gen 4 Formula E car might be as fast as F1, says Cherowbrier
It was rumoured before that the new cars will be a big step forward. In the paddock, some people even say that the transition from Gen 3 to Gen 4 will be the biggest ever in Formula E. That has been confirmed by Cherowbrier.
“The Gen 4 will be nearly as fast as a Formula 1 car, if not faster in different circumstances. It will be the biggest step we’ve seen so far”, he said during a media program by ABB to which selected media including Pit Debrief was invited to at the Berlin E-Prix.
Huge story after 11 years of development
“If you imagine the story of Formula E, if anybody’s heard of it, in Year 1 we had two cars because the driver got out of one in the middle of the race and got into another one because you couldn’t have a battery that was big enough, and you couldn’t swap them“, he added.
“Gen 2, they resolved that problem, and they got to that. You see this evolution of technology as you go. This was 2014. Nobody was really imagining having EV cars in the streets at this point, so it was a very early stage.
“And then Gen 3, what we started to do is we’ve added four-wheel drive so we can get the power onto the ground.
“And then what Gen 4 adds is some real aerodynamics on it so you can actually use that power and the additional power that goes with it.”
Current development phase of Gen 4
Asked on the timeline of the Gen 4, and on when information regarding the look, Cherowbrier explained that initial testing behind closed doors is currently underway. He couldn’t say any date on the official reveal, but adds that the sporting regulations haven’t been decided yet.
“We are in initial testing now. But behind closed doors testing. I can’t tell you the date that it comes out.”
He explains: “We have one mule car now, and then that goes out to the manufacturers and teams during next year to allow them to start racing with it from season 13 onwards.”
Regarding the sporting regulations, he says that those are still in discussions and not finalised yet: “The sporting regulations for Gen 4 haven’t been decided yet. But they are in discussion. But I don’t think there’s any chance to change that, either.”
When asked by Pit Debrief, Cherowbrier re-confirmed that the reveal of the car will be next year.
What we know so far about Gen 4
But what do we know about the next generation of Formula E cars? In June, the FIA World Motorsport Council confirmed the key data of Gen 4 from the 2026-27 season. The cars will receive a significant boost regarding power and performance.
What was known before is that Spark continues to provide the chassis for the teams. However, two new partners have been selected: Podium Advanced Technologies, who will make the batteries, while Bridgestone is the new tyre supplier.
Next to that, the maximum power output has been increased from 350kw to 600kw, so 476 horsepower to an impressive 816 horsepower. The energy recovery also increased from 600kW to 700kW. Regarding tyres, slicks could be a thing from 2028.
Jeff Dodds told Motorsport-Magazin that “Gen4 will be a massive step forward. At some point we will introduce slick tyres. We have achieved so many other positive changes in terms of sustainability.
“But the Gen4 cars will reach a point where we want to demonstrate the full performance of the cars. This is one of those areas where we can make small compromises and improve in other areas instead.”
