Forward-looking decision for Formula E: Porsche is the third manufacturer to commit to the Gen4 era from season 13 (2026/27) and will remain in the electric world championship until at least 2030. The Stuttgart-based carmaker announced this on Thursday before Formula E returns to China next weekend (May 25/26, 2024). The fourth technological generation of Formula E promises impressive performance data: 600 kilowatts of power and up to 700 kW of brake energy recovery.
“This was always a long-term commitment,” said Porsche Motorsport Director Thomas Laudenbach on Sunday of the Berlin ePrix about two weeks ago in a media round, which was also attended by Motorsport-Magazin.com “When we enter a series, it’s not like we’re in and out. It was always clear to us that we wanted to do this for the long term, be a big part of this championship and help build it.”
Porsche fundamental for Formula E
Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds and co-founder and Chief Championship Officer Alberto Longo were also pleased with Porsche’s secured future. “They are fundamental for us. We are a challenger brand, ten years old in a market where some of our competitors are 75 or even 100 years old,” Dodds recalled in Berlin.
At the same time, the Formula E boss praised the technological advances in the racing series. The Gen3 Evo car, which will be new from 2025, will accelerate faster than Formula 1 and will have all-wheel drive for the first time. “We develop very quickly. What we cannot develop very quickly is a lifespan full of heritage and legacy, which someone like Porsche brings with them,” said Dodds, praising the importance of Porsche for Formula E. “When someone like Porsche becomes one Championship like ours professes, it sends a message around the world that says, ‘This is serious motorsport!'”
Alberto Longo joined in the praise: “As a founder of Formula E, it was of course an honour to have Porsche all these years. But of course it was also a challenge and a great responsibility to have such a great brand with us. Now to have Porsche’s commitment all the way to 2030 is absolutely fantastic for Formula E.”
Porsche: No quick exit from Formula E like Audi, BMW and Mercedes
Porsche is the third manufacturer to commit to the Gen4 era. Nissan and Jaguar had previously announced their continued involvement in Formula E. Unlike in the Gen3 era, the Porsche program is now set to run straight through to the end of the four-time regulation cycle in 2030. In the Gen3 era, the Zuffenhausen-based company initially committed itself to the first two years until the end of 2024, before the commitment was officially extended to 2026 in July of last year.
With its long-term commitment to Formula E, Porsche also stands in stark contrast to the other German manufacturers involved in the championship in the past. Audi, BMW and Mercedes all pulled the plug after just a few years of entering Formula E as a factory team. Audi and BMW left the racing series in 2021, while Mercedes said goodbye at the end of 2022 after two drivers’ and teams’ titles in a row.
Porsche future despite declining audience numbers in Germany
Porsche decided against this step – despite the slump in viewer numbers on the German home market following the premature exit of TV partner ProSiebenSat.1. “Two countries are a bit of a problem area at the moment. That is the United Kingdom and Germany. And something has to happen there in the future,” said Porsche team boss Florian Modlinger in an exclusive conversation with Motorsport-Magazin.com demanded on the sidelines of the Porsche Tennis GP in Stuttgart in April 2024. However, the global figures, which are currently showing a clear upward trend, were probably enough for the Porsche board.
Porsche also hopes that its ongoing commitment will not only bring success on the track, but also a high level of series relevance. The flagship model was recently the new Porsche Taycan Turbo GT, which, based on the Formula E model, has an Attack Mode in which up to 120 kW of additional power can be activated for a short time. The car has also been used as the new Formula E safety car since this year’s Berlin ePrix.
“If there was no advantage to it, we wouldn’t do it. That is very clear and there must be an advantage on the technical side,” Laudenbach clarified in Berlin. “And that despite the fact that we have restrictions in Formula E, which is good because we also have to balance financial sustainability, which is very important because it has to be affordable.” However, Formula E has managed to open up the important areas for development, said Laudenbach.
Porsche with an eventful Formula E history
From a sporting perspective, Porsche has already celebrated numerous successes since joining Formula E in 2019. Andre Lotterer achieved his first podium finish at the debut race in Saudi Arabia. In the second season of 2021, newcomer Pascal Wehrlein’s first victory followed on the track, but this was revoked due to a formal error when registering the tires.
The first victory for eternity had to wait until 2022 in Mexico City. Wehrlein even achieved a one-two victory ahead of Lotterer. However, the title hopes that briefly flared up as a result had to be buried early in the last year of the Gen2 cars. Ultimately, Porsche also ended the third Formula E season outside the top 5 in the team rankings.
However, that changed with the beginning of the Gen3 era in 2023. Together with the new Andretti customer team, Porsche-powered vehicles were able to win 6 of 16 races this season, while Andretti driver Jake Dennis was crowned driver world champion. Porsche can also look back on a successful year so far in 2024: a car with Porsche power won four of the ten races this season.
Laudenbach: Court proceedings with FIA have no influence on future decision
In the drivers’ championship, Wehrlein is the best-placed Porsche driver in second place with 124 points, while his works team-mate Antonio Felix da Costa is in eighth place. The Porsche works team is also in second place in the team rankings, 54 points behind the Jaguar works team in the title fight. Customer team Andretti is in fifth place in this ranking.
However, this season, Porsche also clashed with the FIA, just as it did with its debut victory on the track in 2021. Works driver Felix da Costa was stripped of his victory in Misano in mid-April due to an accelerator pedal spring that was no longer on the parts list of standard component manufacturer Spark Racing Technology. This means that this spring should not have been installed in Felix da Costa’s car.
Porsche is currently appealing the decision, and the case will be heard on June 7, 2024 before the International Court of Appeal at the FIA’s Paris headquarters. However, according to Laudenbach, this conflict has had no impact on Porsche’s future: “Absolutely not. Sometimes you have problems that you want to clarify with each other, but that has nothing to do with our long-term commitment and dedication to the series.”
Entry into Formula 1 not off the table despite commitment to Formula E?
The topic of a Formula 1 entry, which is always present in the media, is also to be considered independent of Porsche’s Formula E future. “They have nothing to do with each other,” Laudenbach clarified. Porsche, together with its sister company VW, was considered Audi was long considered a top contender for a future in the racing series before a possible partnership with Red Bull surprisingly fell through. Recently, things have been quiet on the subject.
In addition to the manufacturers Porsche, Nissan and Jaguar that have already been confirmed for the Gen4 era, three other manufacturers, DS Automobiles, Mahindra and ERT, formerly NIO, are involved in Formula E. In 2025, another brand, Lola-Yamaha, will be joining current Mahindra customer team Abt Sportsline will join forces. The other manufacturers will also have to make a decision about their future in Formula E in the next few months. There is until the end of the year to enroll in the Gen4 era.
In terms of sport, however, before the Gen4 era, the focus is on the new Gen3 Evo cars from 2025, which will be used in seasons 11 and 12. You can read all the information about the medium-term future of Formula E in this article: