Finding
Battery racing has settled into sprint formats where regeneration supplies much of the energy - Formula E recovers up to 600 kW under braking - while endurance and long off-road stages moved away from batteries, as Extreme E's switch to hydrogen fuel-cell Extreme H shows
The Formula E Gen3 car (2023) has 350 kW at the rear, recovers up to 600 kW under braking with front and rear motors and has no rear hydraulic brakes. The Gen3 Evo (2024-25) added all-wheel drive in Attack Mode and race starts, and Pit Boost adds about 10% charge at 600 kW in a 30-second stop. The Gen4 car, due for the 2026-27 season, raises peak power to 600 kW.
Formula E is a power-electronics laboratory. Silicon carbide inverters, 600 kW regeneration and battery thermal control under repeated full-power bursts are the transfer topics to road cars; the spec battery comes from Fortescue WAE (formerly Williams Advanced Engineering). Chinese interests are on the grid and the calendar: the Shanghai E-Prix joined the series in 2024, and Chinese ownership has run through the former NIO 333 team.
Off-road and touring formats have struggled. Extreme E ran battery-electric Odyssey 21 SUVs (400 kW) from 2021 to 2024, charged from hydrogen fuel-cell generators in the paddock, then became Extreme H, racing the Pioneer 25 on a hydrogen fuel cell with a buffer battery from 2025; organizers state the hydrogen is green. The FIA ETCR electric touring car series ran in 2021 and 2022 with Hyundai, Cupra and Alfa Romeo cars and was not continued. MotoE has run Ducati's V21L (110 kW, 18 kWh) since 2023 after Energica's spec bikes from 2019.
Records are where electric cars win outright. Volkswagen's ID.R (500 kW) set the Pikes Peak overall record of 7:57.148 in 2018. McMurtry's fan-downforce Spéirling holds the Goodwood hill-climb record (39.08 s, 2022). Chinese makers now chase lap and speed records: Xiaomi's SU7 Ultra has lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife in production form, and BYD's Yangwang U9 Track Edition set a top speed of 472.41 km/h in 2025.
Series
Electric racing series compared
Battery-electric first; Extreme H is hydrogen fuel-cell electric.
| Series | Vehicle | Powertrain | Peak power | Battery and energy | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formula E | Gen3 Evo; Gen4 from 2026-27 | battery-electric | 350 kW (Gen3 Evo); 600 kW (Gen4) | Spec pack (Fortescue WAE); 600 kW regen; Pit Boost 600 kW | Racing |
| MotoE | Ducati V21L | battery-electric | 110 kW | 18 kWh | Ducati spec since 2023 |
| FIA ETCR | Hyundai, Cupra, Alfa Romeo touring cars | battery-electric | 500 kW | Spec pack | Ran 2021-2022 |
| Extreme E | Spark Odyssey 21 | battery-electric | 400 kW | Spec pack, charged in the paddock | Ran 2021-2024; became Extreme H |
| Extreme H | Pioneer 25 | hydrogen fuel-cell electric (stated green) | 400 kW | Fuel cell plus buffer battery | Racing from 2025 |
| E1 Series | RaceBird foiling boat | battery-electric | 150 kW | Spec pack | Racing from 2024 |
Records
Electric records
| Record | Vehicle | Result | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pikes Peak overall | Volkswagen ID.R | 7:57.148 | 2018 |
| Goodwood hill climb | McMurtry Spéirling | 39.08 s | 2022 |
| Top speed, production-based EV | Yangwang U9 Track Edition (BYD) | 472.41 km/h | 2025 |
| Nürburgring, production EV | Xiaomi SU7 Ultra | Sub-7:05 lap | 2025 |
Tech transfer
What racing gives road EVs
| Technology | In racing | On the road |
|---|---|---|
| Silicon carbide inverters | Formula E powertrains | 800 V cars from Porsche, Hyundai, Kia, Lucid, BYD and Xiaomi |
| High-power regeneration | 600 kW, no rear hydraulic brakes | Brake-by-wire and one-pedal driving |
| Fast charging | Pit Boost, 600 kW for 30 s | Megawatt-class car charging in China |
| Thermal control | Repeated full-power bursts | Track modes and sustained-performance limits |
Sources
Sources and scope
- Scope
- Electric Racing
- Sources
- FIA Formula E (Gen3, Gen3 Evo, Pit Boost, Gen4); Extreme H; FIM MotoE; Volkswagen Motorsport; McMurtry; BYD; Xiaomi; Oct 2026
- Updated
- October 2026