Formula E GEN4 claims 30‑second charge

Formula E and the FIA used the Monaco E-Prix weekend to amplify details of the GEN4 car, a next-generation racer the series says will enter competition in the 2026/27 season. The most widely shared claim was a charging one: Formula E says its ecosystem now supports a 30-second, 600kW energy boost worth 10% of battery charge in race conditions. That figure is real in Formula E’s current PIT BOOST format, though the 10% in 30 seconds claim refers to the championship’s fast-charging system rather than a standalone new GEN4 race rule. The April 21 GEN4 debut at Circuit Paul Ricard gave Formula E and the FIA a fresh set of official numbers to point to as social posts circulated around Monaco on May 16 and May 17. Formula E says GEN4 will top 335 kph, reach 0-100 kph in about 1.8 seconds, and deliver 600kW in ATTACK MODE, with 450kW race power and permanent all-wheel drive. (fiaformulae.com) ### Where does the “30-second charge” claim actually come from? Formula E’s official PIT BOOST explainer says the current race format uses a mandatory mid-race stop in selected events, where cars receive a 30-second, 600kW energy increase worth 10% of usable race energy, or 3.85kWh. The full stationary stop is listed as 34 seconds, with 30 seconds of charging. (fiaformulae.com) Fortescue Zero, Formula E’s PIT BOOST partner, describes the same system as a 10% energy increase delivered through a 30-second, 600kW rapid boost in the pit lane. In other words, the headline number circulating online is grounded in official Formula E material, but it is tied to PIT BOOST operations already used in races, not to a newly announced consumer-car charging benchmark. (fiaformulae.com) ### So what is new about GEN4 itself? The GEN4 car is new because it is Formula E’s next chassis and powertrain platform for Season 13, not because the 30-second charging idea first appeared this week. Formula E says GEN4 uses a 55kWh battery, produces up to 600kW of peak power, and can regenerate up to 700kW under braking. (fortescue.com) The series also says GEN4 will be about 10 seconds a lap faster than GEN3 in qualifying mode and at least five seconds a lap faster than GEN3 Evo on street circuits in current mule-car testing. FIA and Formula E say the car will race with two aerodynamic configurations, one aimed at qualifying downforce and one at lower-drag race running. (fiaformulae.com) ### Is the battery charge claim about GEN4 or today’s race cars? The 3.85kWh figure matches the current GEN3 Evo-era PIT BOOST system. Formula E’s own explainer states that 10% equals 3.85kWh, which implies the claim is anchored to the present race format rather than a published GEN4-specific charging percentage. (fiaformulae.com) GEN4’s battery is larger on paper. Formula E’s GEN4 page lists race energy at 55kWh, up 43% on GEN3 Evo, but the official GEN4 launch materials reviewed here do not say that the series will deliver “10% in 30 seconds” as a GEN4 race procedure in exactly the same way. That is why posts blending GEN4 specs with PIT BOOST numbers can read as if they are one announcement when they come from related but separate Formula E materials. (fiaformulae.com) ### What are Formula E and the FIA saying about road relevance? The FIA said on April 21 that some automotive manufacturers in the championship will take GEN4 innovations “from track to road.” Formula E separately describes GEN4 as central to a “race-to-road philosophy,” citing 600kW charging and high-efficiency motor development. (fiaformulae.com) Fortescue Zero has made a narrower, named claim about transfer beyond racing. The company says the engineering principles behind PIT BOOST are being used in heavy-industry applications at Fortescue mine sites in Australia, rather than presenting a direct timetable for passenger EV adoption. (fia.com) ### When will fans see the next official milestones? Formula E says GEN4 will begin racing in the 2026/27 season, after further development by teams and manufacturers. The championship calendar lists the next 2025/26 race as the Sanya E-Prix on June 20, followed by Shanghai on July 4 and July 5, Tokyo on July 25 and July 26, and London on August 15 and August 16. (fiaformulae.com 1) (fiaformulae.com 2)