Formula E’s Gen4 car which was unveiled last month represents a major step forward across every performance parameter for when it makes its debut in the 2026/27 campaign.

The all-electric series predicts it will deliver 600kW of power - over 800hp - marking a substantial increase over current cars, with the Gen3 Evo peaking at 350kW (469hp).

The Gen4 package will also introduce permanent four-wheel drive, where the system is only activated in qualifying duels, at the start, and in attack mode.

It will additionally feature two aerodynamic configurations - a high-downforce spec for qualifying and a low-downforce alternative designed for race running - and the car itself will be noticeably larger and wider than its predecessor.

Together, these changes support one of Formula E’s long-standing ambitions: establishing a world-class motorsport platform capable of competing with Formula 1.

Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds told Motorsport.com: “The jump we’re making with Gen4 over Gen3 is bigger than any single jump we’ve ever made in a generation. All-wheel drive, 71% more power, about 10 seconds a lap faster than the current Gen3 car. So there’s no question it shuts the gap right down on Formula 1.

F1 Dutch Grand Prix

“And actually, the next car for Formula 1 probably gets a bit slower, by the way. So the gap will be very small. But the cost of investing in building the car and owning a race team is a fraction of a Formula 1 team.

“So you’re basically getting 95% or 98% of the performance for a fraction of the investment. I think Gen4 gets us right on the heels (of F1), and Gen5 is probably faster.”

The mention of Gen5 is deliberate, as early development work on the car that will follow Gen4 is already under way.

“Of course, the thinking never stops,” Dodds said, expressing early enthusiasm for what lies ahead. “We don’t even race on slick tyres. We’re racing on road tyres. We don’t have a lot of aerodynamic downforce - we’re not in wind tunnels, and the teams aren’t developing different aero packages.

“We’re achieving this speed on the basis of the battery, the powertrain and the software. So yes, Gen5 will benefit from better battery development and battery development is incredible at the moment.”

Gen4 car will attract “best drivers in the world”

Formula E has recently attracted talents such as Taylor Barnard and Zane Maloney directly from Formula 2. This season, Pepe Marti and Felipe Drugovich will make a similar transition - although the Brazilian made the switch three years after winning the F2 title, having waited on the sidelines as Aston Martin’s reserve driver for an F1 opportunity that never came.

Taylor Barnard, DS Penske

But with the Gen4 package, Dodds expects drivers to begin viewing Formula E as a destination rather than a fallback.

“I could talk about lots of drivers, but the two I think are particularly interesting are Taylor Barnard, who made the decision to come straight from F2 to Formula E and not really look at F1. And you have Felipe Drugovich, who was obviously Aston Martin’s reserve driver and has come across and they’re doing that in anticipation of the next car,” he said.

“I think when people see the car and have the chance to drive it, you’re going to have a number of F1 drivers - the best drivers in the world - seeing this as a potential place to build their future.”

Coincidentally, Dodds believes the same logic applies to fans, as the series looks to expand its following heading into the Gen4 era.

“In the end, we can do a lot of things right, but motorsport fans want to see the fastest, they want to see speed,” he added. “So the fact that we can show a material jump in speed and power in this car, I think it’s just more exciting for everyone.”

Felipe Drugovich at peace as he starts his Formula E journey in Sao Paulo

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Nick Cassidy says his move to the World Endurance Championship has been eased by simpler hypercar systems, which he claims is "like a bit of a holiday” compared to Formula E machinery.

Cassidy will combine his Citroen Formula E commitments with a full campaign in the WEC’s top category at the factory Peugeot team in 2026.

It will mark just the second season in the WEC for the Kiwi, who previously raced a Ferrari 488 GTE for AF Corse in the final year of the GTE Am class in 2022.

Modern LMH and LMDh prototypes remain complex in their own right, featuring hybrid systems that pair an electric motor with an internal combustion engine. 

But for Cassidy, learning hypercar software has been relatively straightforward after five seasons in Formula E, where drivers constantly manage energy, regeneration and a wide range of system settings.

“I'm just going to grow in confidence all the time, and I hope that I'm just going to continue improving. But I’m happy with my initial level,” he said following his second test with the Peugeot 9X8 in Bahrain.

“In terms of the complexities and systems, it's probably 30% now of what we have in Formula E. So it's almost like a bit of a holiday for me in terms of systems.”

Nick Cassidy, Citroen Racing

Cassidy arrives in the WEC with extensive experience in both single-seaters and high-downforce sportscars. 

During the second half of the 2010s, he raced in Japan’s two biggest categories, winning titles in both Super Formula and Super GT’s GT500 class before switching to Formula E in 2021.

While the WEC’s top class once featured the fastest prototypes in the world, current-generation hypercars are notably slower than the LMP1 machines they replaced.

Asked to compare hypercars with the GT500s he raced in the past, Cassidy said: “I think the actual manoeuvring through traffic or the lap time difference to GT3 is similar. I hope that's going to make the adaptation for [multi-class] racing easier. I'm quite comfortable with that.

“The mechanical grip, the tyre grip and the downforce level is just quite a lot lower in hypercars. As a driver, you don't have the feeling you are attacking the car. You're almost driving on eggshells.”

He added: “I've been very surprised by the lack of grip in hypercars these days, and the lack of downforce performance.

“If you look at hypercars now, not to sound negative, but compared to what I was used to in Super GT or Super Formula, it's a different world.

“It's almost more in line with Formula E than the adaptation I've done in the past [when I first moved to Formula E after racing in Japan]. It helps me to have two categories that are similar.”

Cassidy faces a packed schedule in 2026 as he balances his new WEC programme with another season in Formula E. He is also adjusting to a new environment in the all-electric series after leaving Jaguar to join Citroen, which previously competed under the Maserati banner.

Formula E commitments will occupy even more of his time as the year progresses, with manufacturers already starting to shift resources to Gen4 powertrain development.

The 31-year-old admitted time isn’t on his side as he prepares for 2026, but credited Peugeot for helping him balance the two championships.

“I'm blown away [by Peugeot]. They've been super great to work with, super kind in terms of understanding my schedule. Doing their best to integrate me with the almost limited time I have.

“I'm trying at the moment to give full focus to two programs. But it's true, with Gen 4 coming in Formula E, with the current season in Formula E, and making that move across, that's been extremely busy. And obviously with WEC as well to integrate.

"I'm short on time, in terms of days I can spend on simulators, in meetings and things. But I'm [working] five days a week across all programs for the last two-and-a-half months just to make sure I can be prepared for both championships.”

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