Article

Formula E: The Electric Circus That Quietly Became One of the Toughest Races on Earth

Jan 31, 2026

What Is Formula E—and When Did It Start?

Formula E officially began in 2014–2015 as the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, making it the first fully electric, FIA-sanctioned single-seater racing series in the world.

Unlike traditional racing that grew out of racetracks and rural circuits, Formula E went straight to city streets. Think downtown London, New York, Rome, Monaco, Berlin, Tokyo. Tight corners, concrete walls, manhole covers, painted crosswalks—everything engineers hate and drivers secretly love.

The idea was simple but bold:

Prove electric cars can race hard
Race where people actually live
Make energy efficiency just as important as outright speed

How Formula E Races Actually Work

Race Length (Not Laps, Not Hours—Energy)

Formula E races don’t follow the usual “X laps or X hours” formula. Instead, they’re built around energy limits.

A modern Formula E race typically lasts:

~45 minutes + 1 lap
Total energy allocation per car is fixed (currently ~38.5 kWh in race trim, depending on generation and regulations)

That means drivers aren’t just racing the clock or the guy ahead—they’re racing their battery percentage.

Run too hard early? You’ll crawl at the end. Save too much? Someone else will pass you like you’re parked.

How Long Can a Formula E Car Run?

A Formula E car can run an entire race distance on a single battery charge. That’s one of the series’ defining features.

In the early seasons, drivers actually switched cars mid-race because the batteries couldn’t last long enough. That ended with the arrival of the Gen2 car in 2018, and today’s Gen3 cars are even more advanced.

Modern Formula E cars:

Run a full race without recharging
Recover energy under braking (regeneration)
Can regenerate up to ~40% of race energy through braking alone

So instead of pit stops for fuel, drivers are constantly harvesting energy—especially in heavy braking zones on tight street circuits.

Pit Stops: Why They’re (Almost) Not a Thing

Here’s where Formula E really messes with your expectations.

No Fuel

No gasoline
No refueling
No combustion engines

No Traditional Pit Stops

No tire changes under normal conditions
No battery swaps
No mid-race recharging (yet)

Pit stops only happen for:

Damage
Punctures
Penalties
Safety-related issues

Your “pit strategy” in Formula E is mostly energy strategy:

When to push
When to lift and coast
When to fight for position
When to sit back and let others burn themselves out

Attack Mode: The Strategic Curveball

To prevent energy-saving parades, Formula E introduced Attack Mode.

During each race:

Drivers must drive off the racing line through a designated activation zone
This gives them a temporary power boost
But it costs time and position to activate

So you get a strategic dilemma: Do you grab power now and risk losing track position—or wait and risk being defenseless later?

It’s like giving everyone nitrous oxide… but hiding the button behind a speed bump.

The Cars: What Makes Formula E Machines Unique

Current Formula E cars (Gen3 era):

Open-wheel, single-seater
All-electric
Rear-wheel drive (with front regen added under braking)
Power output up to ~350 kW in qualifying
Top speeds around 200 mph (322 km/h) in optimal conditions

But here’s the thing: Formula E cars aren’t built to dominate long straights. They’re built to accelerate, brake, turn, and regenerate energy over and over again—perfect for tight street circuits.

The Teams: Who’s on the Grid?

Formula E has attracted serious manufacturers and well-funded teams. Some of the most notable include:

TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team
DS Penske
Jaguar TCS Racing
Nissan Formula E Team
Andretti Formula E
Envision Racing
Maserati MSG Racing
NEOM McLaren Formula E Team

These aren’t “marketing exercises.” These are full engineering programs where efficiency, software, and power electronics matter just as much as aerodynamics.

Race Events by Season (High-Level Overview)

Formula E calendars evolve constantly, but here’s a year-by-year snapshot of how the championship has grown.

2014–2015: The Experimental Era

Locations included Beijing, London, Monaco, Miami, Buenos Aires
Two-car system (mid-race car swap)
Short races, limited power, lots of learning

2016–2018: Finding Its Feet

Expanded calendar
Stronger manufacturer interest
Still car swaps, but racing intensity increased
Street circuits became tighter and more aggressive

2018–2022 (Gen2 Era): The Turning Point

Single car per race
Full race distance on one battery
Iconic venues like Rome, Paris, Berlin Tempelhof
Energy management became the defining skill

2023–Present (Gen3 Era): The Efficiency Arms Race

Faster, lighter cars
Massive regen capability
Less battery, more recovery
Racing focused on precision and timing

Modern calendars typically include:

Monaco (tight, technical, prestige)
Berlin (wide runways, strategy-heavy)
London (indoor/outdoor chaos)
New York City
Tokyo
Mexico City
Rome (now legacy but iconic)

Each event usually features:

Practice
Qualifying (duels-based format)
One or two races per weekend

What Makes Each Formula E Race Unique?

Because these are street circuits, no two races feel the same.

Monaco: Energy-saving meets history—precision wins
Berlin: Wind, surface changes, and strategy roulette
London: Tight, dusty, half-indoor madness
New York: Bumpy, technical, unforgiving
Tokyo: New-school street circuit with old-school consequences

Walls are close. Mistakes are expensive. And safety cars can completely flip the race upside down.

The Drivers: A Different Skill Set

Formula E drivers come from:

Formula 1
Formula 2
Endurance racing
Touring cars

But the best Formula E drivers share one trait: they think while driving.

You’ll hear radio messages like:

“Target minus two percent.”
“Lift three meters earlier.”
“You’re safe to push for two laps.”

This is racing where intelligence matters as much as bravery.

Why Formula E Actually Matters

Formula E isn’t trying to replace Formula 1. It’s doing something different.

It accelerates EV technology
It tests power electronics under extreme stress
It brings racing to city centers
It forces efficiency to matter

And perhaps most importantly—it proves that racing doesn’t need noise or fuel burn to be intense, unpredictable, and brutally competitive.

Final Lap: Why Formula E Is Worth Watching

Formula E started as an experiment. Today, it’s a thinking person’s race series—where drivers manage energy like accountants under pressure and engineers chase efficiency the way racers used to chase horsepower.

It’s quieter, yes. But don’t mistake that for calm.

Because when the lights go out in Formula E, every move costs energy—and every mistake is paid for twice.