The new 200mph GEN4 Formula E car will beat F1 machines off the line (Image: Getty)
A new electric car set to hit the track later this year will be quicker than an F1 car off the start line. Formula E is set to launch its new GEN4 car at the start of next season, with the model pushing the all-electric racing series ever closer to F1 machines driven by Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.
The new electric GEN4 car will deliver a whopping 600kW or 815bhp of peak power, almost double that of the current GEN3 Formula E car and pushing top speeds to around 208mph. The new car is equipped with a 55kWh battery, capable of up to 700kW in regeneration, with permanent active All-Wheel Drive now ensuring cars hit 0-62mph in just 1.8 seconds, faster than an F1 car which will take 2.4 seconds to hit the same mark.
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The new car hit the track in Monaco this weekend (Image: Getty)
F1 champion Lando Norris had his eye on the new GEN4 car (Image: Getty)
The new model made its on-track debut at this weekend’s Monaco e-Prix and will be on display at this summer’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. Formula E boss Jeff Dodds said the new model will be a complete “game changer” for electric vehicles.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, Jeff said: “It’s a massive, massive leap in the technology of the car. In GEN4, you’ve got a car that accelerates 30% faster than a Formula 1 car, will race at speeds of excess 200mph, around 10 seconds per lap faster on average than the GEN3 car. So this is a massive jump. You’re talking about a tiny gap between this and a Formula 1 car.”
The CEO even claimed he would “put any money” that Formula E cars would be faster than those in F1 within four to five years.
Formula E boasts a plethora of manufacturers with major car brands such as Nissan, Porsche and Jaguar currently building their cars from next season. Although the GEN4 car won’t be road legal or sold to customers, much of the technology trailed in the racing series will be adopted on the EV’s of the future.
The GEN4 car can hit 0-62mph in just 1.8 seconds (Image: Getty)
Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport of Porsche Formula E told Expess.co.uk: “It’s full electric and on a performance level of the quickest single-seaters around the world, the performance statement will be there.
“F1 clearly is the quickest single-seaters around the world but we already have some advantages compared to them. Total car efficiency, we are better, acceleration of 0-200kph is really impressive.”
Formula E’s stars are also excited about the prospect, with Jaguar’s Antonio Felix Da Costa stressing the GEN4 model was sure to put a smile on drivers’ faces when it hits the road in late 2026. Meanwhile, Sebastian Buemi predicted the new model would bring a lot of performance in a massive step-up for the series.
With F1 cars delivering speeds of up to 220mph and hitting 0-62mph in just over two seconds, the comparisons between the two series are now clearer than ever.
The new car will bring Formula E even closer to F1 (Image: Getty)
However, Formula E bosses have stressed the series are not hoping to edge ahead of their single-seater rivals, with road relevance much more important.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Dan Cherowbrier, Chief Technical Officer at Formula E said: “We’re not trying to beat F1, we are trying to show a relevant sport that matches people’s real lives.
“I think it’s important that people look at that car and go ‘that charger, that’s like the chargers I have at the forecourts in the service station’. They should be able to relate to them.”
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