Nissan Formula E GEN4 Car Nearly Doubles Power

Nissan Formula E Team is preparing for the GEN4 era of Formula E, with peak power nearly doubling to 600 kW (816 hp) and 0-62 mph acceleration dropping under two seconds. The team’s development work is underway at Nissan’s Viry-Châtillon headquarters near Paris, where engineers are tuning the car ahead of the new FIA regulations’ debut in Season 13. Nissan became the first manufacturer to commit to the GEN4 era, a program that runs through 2030 and builds on the automaker’s Formula E involvement dating to Season 5. Team principal Tommaso Volpe said the car’s permanent all-wheel-drive system opens new opportunities to transfer technology between the race track and Nissan’s road-going EVs.

Highlights

• Peak power for the GEN4 Formula E car nearly doubles to 600 kW (816 hp), enabling 0-62 mph in 1.8 seconds and 0-124 mph in 4.4 seconds
• GEN4 introduces the sport’s first permanent all-wheel-drive powertrain, with each team given freedom over differential setup
• Season 13’s provisional calendar expands to 21 races across 13 cities, including a Brands Hatch double-header hosting the 2027 London E-Prix on May 29-30
• More than 40% of race energy is generated through regenerative braking, and GEN4’s battery contains no rare-earth minerals as part of the series’ sustainability targets

What Changes With the GEN4 Car

GEN4 represents Formula E’s biggest technical step since the series began. Peak power rises to 600 kW (816 hp), up from 350 kW (476 hp) in the outgoing GEN3 Evo car, which carried Nissan to the Season 11 drivers’ title. The car becomes the fastest-accelerating FIA-governed race car, reaching 0-62 mph in 1.8 seconds and 0-124 mph in 4.4 seconds, and it is the world’s first permanent all-wheel-drive single-seater, with each team granted freedom over its differential setup. GEN4 also adds power steering and a more flexible cockpit design intended to make the sport safer and more inclusive. Other manufacturers have already begun on-track testing of their own GEN4 machinery ahead of the car’s Season 13 debut.

How Formula E Feeds Nissan’s Road-Car Technology

Nissan entered Formula E in Season 5 (2018/19) as the first Japanese manufacturer in the series and took full ownership of the program when it acquired the e.dams team in April 2022. In March 2024, it became the first manufacturer to sign up for the GEN4 era. Volpe said electrification’s flexibility is what makes the transfer possible. “The possibility to transfer between the worlds of road and track has become much wider because electrification is a more flexible technology,” he said. “The same motor can be utilized in many different ways and solutions that are applied in developing a powertrain for Formula E can be also applied to road cars, and vice versa.” He pointed to the team’s all-wheel-drive experience specifically: “There is a huge opportunity with GEN4 to transfer the strong expertise of Nissan in all-wheel drive to Formula E cars and then back into our road cars.” Nissan’s e-4ORCE system already applies related all-wheel-control technology in the X-Trail e-POWER and the electric Ariya, managing power delivery and braking across all four wheels to improve traction, stability and ride comfort.

How Does the GEN4 Car Feel to Drive?

Reserve and development driver Sam Bird, who has raced every generation of Formula E car, called GEN4 the team’s biggest jump yet. “GEN4 represents our biggest jump yet, with almost double the output, and it’s an enormous amount of power under your right foot,” he said. “It feels like you’re leaving your physical body behind and pushing forward.” Reigning champion Oliver Rowland said the added grip and technical variables change how the car is driven: “The power the GEN4 car has is quite eye-opening. 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.”

Season 13 Calendar and the Return to Brands Hatch

Season 13’s provisional 2026-27 calendar is Formula E’s most expansive yet, adding circuits including Zandvoort and the Circuit of the Americas. The London E-Prix moves to Brands Hatch, which will host a double-header on May 29-30, 2027, using a new high-downforce “E-Prix Unleashed” race format. Formula E co-founder and chief championship officer Alberto Longo called it the series’ biggest calendar to date: “Expanding to 21 races across 13 iconic cities is a huge milestone, and welcoming world-renowned tracks like COTA in Austin, Zandvoort, and Brands Hatch provides the ultimate stage to showcase our new GEN4 era.”

Sustainability Targets for the GEN4 Era

More than 40% of race energy is generated through regenerative braking under GEN4 regulations, part of a broader push toward 100% reusable construction and a minimum of 20% recycled materials across the vehicle. The battery contains no rare-earth minerals, and tires are made from 65% natural and recycled materials. Formula E says it remains the first global sport certified to the BSI Net Zero Pathway Standard and the first motorsport championship to achieve B Corp Certification.

GEN1-GEN4 Spec Comparison

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