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Why Formula E's new car is more than just a vanity project

It's clear to see from Formula E's Gen2 EVO package that the series has done more than just fiddle with its bodywork. Here's the thinking behind the new challenger, which could help manufacturers, improve racing and refresh a four-year cycle

Nothing else in motorsport looks like a current Formula E car. When the Gen2 machine was unveiled in 2018 - complete with an enormous diffuser, covered front wheels and an X-wing at the rear - it gave the championship an appearance as standout as its electric-only running gear. It wasn't trying to ape Formula 1 or any other series.

Two years on, FE has revealed a mid-life facelift that will land for the 2020-21 season. Curiously, the Gen2 EVO bodykit now employs design characteristics borrowed from across the single-seater map. There's a move to a more conventional front wing design, the introduction of a Super Formula-like shark-fin on the rear deck, and the front arches have now been ditched in favour of a more traditional open-wheel appearance.

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Author Matt Kew

Matt Kew is Autosport’s F1 Editor, a role he has held since March 2022 following stints covering Formula E, Extreme E and the British Touring Car Championship.

Matt joined Autosport in 2018 to work predominantly on the magazine, but his relentless quoting of Alan Partridge meant office colleagues soon thought he would be better-suited to increased field work.

Needless to say, Matt had the last laugh when he won the Motorsport UK Young Journalist of the Year Award in 2019.

His interest in motorsport was sparked by regular trips to watch ASCAR crash around Rockingham’s banked oval.

Matt read politics and philosophy at the University of Sheffield - receiving first-class honours for his dissertation assessing the lack of female participation in top-tier motor racing.

He covered a wide variety of national race and rally meetings for Autosport as a freelancer before joining full-time. His best efforts to argue the merits of historic racing are undone by a questionable taste in music and James Bond actors.