Jeff Dodds looks beyond Gen4: Formula E wants Gen5 to deliver the world's fastest race cars

With the Gen4 car, Formula E is facing the biggest performance leap in its history. But the championship is already looking much further ahead: Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds wants Gen5 to become the highest-performance race car across all motorsport categories. Former champion Lucas di Grassi also believes Formula E could eventually produce the fastest race cars in the world.

"The step from Gen3 to Gen4 feels like going from being a teenager to becoming an adult. It is a big moment, but definitely not the final step in the development," Dodds tells e-Formula.news. "My job is to think a little further ahead and consider our ambitions for 2030. That also means looking at how we can put the highest-performance race car of any motorsport category on track by the time we get to Gen5."

The Gen4 car delivers up to 600 kW, features permanent all-wheel drive and reaches speeds of up to 335 km/h. Yet for Dodds, even this performance leap represents only another stage of development. His focus is already shifting towards the next steps on the road to Gen5. "What happens to batteries throughout Gen4? What happens to tyre development? Is there an aerodynamic moment like we saw in Gen3?"

Dodds: "We have the tailwind of technology"

Asked whether Formula 1 should be worried about Formula E's long-term development, Dodds pointed to the different powertrain technologies. While Formula 1 continues to use an internal-combustion engine as part of its hybrid powertrain, he sees long-term advantages for battery-electric race cars.

"As battery technology improves over time, battery-electric vehicle technology can produce a faster-accelerating car," says Dodds. "I think we have the tailwind of technology."

Di Grassi: Gen5 leap will be even bigger than Gen4

"I really believe that the difference between Gen4 and Gen5 is going to be even bigger than the difference between Gen3 and Gen4," Lucas di Grassi said during a media roundtable attended by e-Formula.news. "Both the technology and the championship still have a lot of room to grow. I'm really looking forward to an exciting future with solid-state batteries and all-wheel-drive cars. I even think it is possible that an electric Formula E car could one day become the fastest race car of all."

Di Grassi does not believe Formula E's current position behind the absolute performance benchmark in motorsport will be permanent. "The world is only going to get more electric, not the other way around," he says. "There may be some ups and downs, but the trend is very clear. Electrification is increasing and the cars are getting faster."

According to di Grassi, that could also fundamentally change how electric motorsport is perceived. "It will be very interesting to see how people perceive motorsport when the electric race cars eventually become the fastest cars out there."