Formula E

What is Formula E?

Formula E is the pinnacle of electric open wheel motorsport, conceived as a new series sanctioned by the FIA in 2011. The inaugural championship took place in 2014 with the first race at the Beijing Olympic Park.

The world's premier electric race series was born from the changing focus of the automotive industry towards electrically powered vehicles, and has changed through a range of cars and new racing formats throughout its short history.

Originally conceived as an idea between FIA president Jean Todt and Formula E chairman Alejandro Aga, the series looks to showcase the potential of sustainable mobility and electric vehicles.

The Formula E cars

The current, and third, generation of the Formula E car is the Spark Gen3 EVO, a standardised vehicle raced by all teams in the competition that contains a 51kWh battery, power output of between 300kW to 350kW and a top speed of up to 322 km/h (200 mph).

The car contains double the energy storage capacity of the Gen1 car meaning it can complete an entire race without stopping and hit 0-100 mph in 1.82 seconds – it is the fastest accelerating single-seater and features temporary four-wheel driver.

The Gen3 EVO was introduced at the start of Season 11, and features regenerative front and back braking.

Formula E Championship

Formula E races are held on adapted street circuits and permanent tracks between 1.9 to 3.4 km in length and a wide range of manufacturers ranging from Citroen's DS brand to Jaguar, Porsche, Nissan and others have competed in the series. 

The competition is currently contested by a total of 11 teams fielding each two drivers and the race itself runs across a distance of between 80-100 kilometres. For the 2021 season the series was granted FIA World Championship status.

Formula E has some innovative features to its racing including PitBoost, where the drivers pit when the race includes the concept and receive a rapid 10% energy boost, and Attack Mode, in which drivers gain 50kW of power by driving off the racing line through a marked zone.

Formula E Points system

Formula E follows the FIA's standardised points system - one that will look very familiar to F1 fans.

Points are awarded to the top 10 drivers from the race, the driver who secures the Julius Baer Pole Position, and whomever gets the faster lap of the race (though they must finish within the top 10). 

Julius Baer pole position - 3 points
Fastest lap in race - 1 point

For all the latest Formula E news, results and analysis be sure to visit RacingNews365.com.