The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is set to radically alter the race-day experience with the launch of Pit Boost ultra-fast EV (electric vehicle) charging technology that debuts at the Jeddah E-Prix in Saudi Arabia on February 14-15. The new feature, deploying more than double the power of current consumer EV (electric vehicle) fast chargers, adds another strategic element during select races of the season, potentially dramatically altering race tactics and outcomes—and enhancing fan engagement.

Pit Boost is a mid-race feature that provides a 10% energy increase (3.85 kWh) to the cars through a 30-s, 600-kW rapid recharge in the pitlane. It is set to redefine Formula E race strategy, with drivers and teams having to weigh the benefits of an energy boost against the risk of losing track position during the pit stop. Choosing the optimal moment to deploy it will be pivotal, introducing an extra layer of drama to every race.

“After an extensive simulation and testing process, we’re pleased to finally present this game-changing technology to the world,” said Alberto Longo, Co-Founder and Chief Championship Officer for Formula E. “It marks one of the most ambitious and impactful additions not just to our series, but modern motorsports. As a series born to enhance the technology transfer from the racetrack to the road, it marks a step-change for consumer vehicles and the potential of EV performance.”

Pit Boost highlights the rapid progress in EV charging technology. The innovation addresses key challenges in EV adoption—charging speed and time. It also demonstrates Formula E’s unique position as a “race-to-road” technology platform as it seeks to “lead the charge” in advancing electric mobility.

“Part of the FIA technical & sporting regulations, this pioneering new feature will add another strategic element to the sport, underscoring the FIA’s steadfast commitment to developing evermore advanced race-to-road technologies—an approach that is perfectly exemplified by the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship,” said Marek Nawarecki, Senior Circuit Sport Director at the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile).

Pit Boost has undergone extensive simulation and testing to ensure its safety, reliability, and race-enhancing potential. Protocols govern its implementation, including limits on when and how it can be deployed, ensuring the feature delivers both excitement and safety on race day. It is mandatory for all drivers in designated races and is deployed during a 34-s stationary pit stop.

Independent of existing Attack Mode rules, Pit Boost provides teams with two strategic elements to manage alongside one another. No more than two pit crew may work on the car during the Pit Boost, plus one pit crew member assigned specifically to stop and release the car. Only one car at a time per team may carry out a Pit Boost.

The FIA will determine the window during which teams may use Pit Boost, depending on a determined status-of-charge value, which will be shared with teams 21 days before each race.

 

GEN3 Evo for 2024/2025

As the world’s first all-electric FIA World Championship and the only sport-certified net-zero carbon since its inception, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship brings electric racing to some of the world’s most iconic cities, providing a motorsport platform for the world’s leading automotive manufacturers to accelerate EV innovation.

Formula E teams include some of the world’s most recognizable brands including Porsche, McLaren, Jaguar, Nissan, and Maserati as well as as well as racing brands Andretti, DS Penske, Cupra Kiro, and Lola Yamaha ABT. After two rounds of the 2024/2025 season, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team is leading in the series standings.

Porsche presented in October its new 99X Electric racecar for the next two seasons. The all-electric open-wheel racer complies with the regulations for the updated third generation of Formula E cars, called GEN3 Evo, with key technical innovations including the ability to power the front wheels in certain scenarios, tires with increased grip, and a modified front wing.

The evolution model inherits Porsche’s most successful formula sports car to date. In its GEN3 version, the 99X Electric won the drivers’ world championship two years running for the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 seasons.

The concept remains the same, with available energy restricted according to series regulations, forcing the teams and their drivers to optimize the racecar efficiency. Components developed by the manufacturer were allowed to be changed for the GEN3 Evo.

According to Porsche, key standard components are the chassis and body, wheels and tires, drive, cooling, and suspension components for the front axle and accumulator. Key in-house developments were the pulse inverter, electric motor, gearbox, differential, driveshafts, and other drive components on the rear axle—as well as cooling, support and suspension components on the rear axle, and operating software.

The Porsche development department in Weissach took the opportunity to make optimizations identified over the past two seasons, particularly regarding the powertrain. The homologation of manufacturer components is valid for two seasons. The fourth car generation, GEN4, is set to be introduced for Season 13 in 2026/2027.

 

Temporary AWD and modified front wing

The key technical innovations of the GEN3 Evo relate to the standardized hardware of all teams and manufacturers taking part. Power transmission is by rear-wheel drive in normal operation, but front-wheel drive may now be engaged during qualifying duels, race starts, and Attack Mode. This gives the car temporary all-wheel drive, enabling the 99X Electric to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in about 2 s.

Making the engagement of front-wheel drive as efficient as possible represents another technical challenge, with the lessons learned also benefiting Porsche’s electric road cars.

“The biggest development task was and is the implementation of the temporary all-wheel drive,” said Florian Modlinger, Porsche’s Director of Factory Motorsport Formula E, at the car’s world premiere. “Since the hardware was already available for GEN3, a huge amount of work has gone into aligning the software. On the one hand, we want to maximize acceleration and cornering speeds with the all-wheel drive. On the other hand, the goal is to not consume too much energy and to keep the car balance to the liking of the drivers. A task that is also relevant for our sports cars for the road.”

Higher-performance tires from exclusive supplier Hankook are helping Formula E cars reach higher speeds in the new season. To reduce the carbon footprint, each car still gets only two sets of tires available per race weekend, with three sets for doubleheaders. The iON Race tire is suitable for both dry and wet conditions.

The evolution model is primarily recognizable by its modified front wing. The new form is designed to make the racecars more stable. Further modifications to the cladding were made behind the roll bar and in front of the rear wheels.

The car, with an 862-kg (1900-lb) mass including the driver, is 5016 mm (197 in) long, 1700 mm (67 in) wide, and 1023 mm (40 in) tall on a 2970-mm (117-in) wheelbase.

Key technical data for the new 99X Electric includes drive power of 300 kW during normal operation and 350 kW in Attack Mode and qualifying duels.

The regenerative braking system can recover up to 600 kW of brake energy, 250 and 350 kW on the front and rear axles, respectively. About 50% of the drive energy per race comes from brake energy recovery. Additional deceleration is through friction brakes on the front axle and on the rear axle only active in an emergency if recuperation fails.

The lithium-ion battery pack is a supplied standard component with a 38.5-kW·h usable storage capacity and a 285-kg (628-lb) mass.