Gen4 Formula E: The World's First Zero-Waste Race Car

"There's not a lot of room in the legs, is there?" Prince William joked as he stopped by Jaguar TCS Racing headquarters in Kidlington last week to check out the latest advances in sustainable motorsport.

The 190cm heir to the British throne tried out a car that matches the team's current competition model, but this development car serves as a bridge to the next generation (Gen4), which will hit the track in the 2026/27 season.

Racing driver Antonio Felix da Costa, who won the 2020 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, joined William to talk about what it's like to race the car and pointed out some of its technical features.

Gen4 brings major performance improvements

The Gen4 might be the fastest Formula E car to date. It can go more than 200 mph and accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 1.8 seconds. On average, it's 10 seconds a lap quicker than the current Gen3 car in qualifying mode.

The new model measures 554cm long and 180cm wide, with a peak output of 600kW, a 71% jump from the last generation. Its long tail helps keep the car stable during powerful acceleration.

The extra length makes room for a bigger 55kWh battery and a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, while keeping the car narrow. The car also uses wider tyres, 29.5cm at the front and 33cm at the rear, to handle the extra power.

Aiming for zero waste in engineering

On top of the technological upgrades, Formula E wants the Gen4 to also help create a zero-waste future. The organisation says this car will be the world's most sustainable race car, built entirely from reusable materials and more than 20% recycled content.

The bodywork contains at least 20% recycled carbon fibre and bio-based composites, while the powertrain recovers nearly 50% of its energy through 700kW regeneration.

These features show that top-level motorsport can aim for zero waste. The Gen4 is both a race car and a testbed for future electric vehicles.

Statement of intent for sustainable racing

For those in the sport who want to marry sustainability with cutting-edge racing competition, the new model ticks a lot of boxes.

"Gen4 isn't just a car, it's a statement of intent. Seeing what it can do on track for the first time is a real milestone for Formula E – we are now delivering performance levels that were thought impossible for electric vehicles just five years ago,” says Jeff Dodds, CEO of Formula E.

"The step up in performance is immediately clear, from the speed and power to the way it delivers on track and there was a genuine buzz among everyone who witnessed it. This is a hugely exciting moment for the Championship as we head into the upcoming 2026/27 Season and a clear signal of where we are headed.

"This is just the beginning, as its refinement is now in the hands of our manufacturers – Porsche, Jaguar, Stellantis, Nissan, Lola Cars and Mahindra – to push development to even higher limits of performance ahead of its racing debut later this year. Gen4 isn't just an evolution, it's a step-change in innovation and performance that will redefine motorsport for years to come."

Lucas Di Grassi, who competes for Lola Yamaha ABT and is another previous Formula E world champion, adds: "It feels futuristic. There are a lot of changes, I would say the main one is the tyres... in 600kW you feel a lot of acceleration, so the acceleration - it's very impressive."

Meanwhile, Jake Dennis, a driver with the Andretti team, says: "It's a new, exciting generation, the car is the biggest step Formula E have ever made... It's an absolute beast, it's super quick, looks incredible and I think it's going to be a real eye-opener for everyone. What can the fans expect? Exciting racing. I think that's something which is the bread and butter of Formula E. It's exciting and action-packed racing and that's one thing which we won't lose for the Gen4 era."