Tokens instead of 2-year homologation: FIA & Formula E plan new upgrade mechanism for Gen4 cars

With the introduction of the Gen4 cars, the FIA and Formula E want to revise the way in which Formula E manufacturers are allowed to further develop their drives, as the magazine Autosport reports. Instead of homologating new hardware every two years, the aim is to switch to a token system in future. This should allow manufacturers to further develop individual powertrain components as required. A similar system is already used in the hypercar category of the World Endurance Championship.

Each manufacturer will have a fixed number of tokens available for the entire Gen4 era. The different components of the powertrain are each assigned to a specific token. If a manufacturer homologates a further developed version of a part, this token is deducted from its quota. However, these tokens only relate to the hardware. Manufacturers' software updates are not affected by this and will continue to be possible for every race in the future.

This is a clear departure from the previous philosophy of the rule makers: In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, manufacturers were only ever allowed to re-homologate their hardware every two years: Season 7, Season 9 and Season 11, meaning that design-related weaknesses could only be rectified after two seasons had passed - with the exception of reliability issues. The Gen4 cars are therefore likely to have more frequent hardware updates. However, in order to prevent a sharp increase in costs, manufacturers will not receive enough tokens to be able to overhaul all components.

The new system is intended to increase flexibility and make it easier for manufacturers with problems with individual components to catch up with the competition. The extent to which the planned changes will be compatible with modifications to the bodywork of the car, such as those made after the tenth season with the switch from Gen3 to Gen3 Evo, is still unclear. Modified body parts, such as a redesigned front wing, would also affect the air flow and therefore the cooling of the powertrains.

Gaillardot: "What manufacturers asked, is to have more flexibility"

"Previously, the homologation cycle was two years," explains Vincent Gaillardot, technical director of the FIA for Formula E, at Autosport. "When the manufacturers homologated the car, they had no possibility to update their car for a two-year period. This means when you do something wrong, you have to cope with it for two years."

"What manufacturers asked, and it's something we at the FIA know very well from other series, is to have more flexibility to be able to manage when they want to implement their developments," continues Gaillardot. "Now, they will have their initial homologation, and they will have one token or one joker, so they can update the MGU, inverter and gearbox whenever they want, once during the four years. For what we call the lowest perimeters - one is mechanical, so the casing and suspension, one is the electrical system and the third one is the hydraulic system - they will have two jokers. It means they can perform two updates during the four-year cycle."

However, the timing is not entirely optional, as Gaillardot explains further: "Every year, at the start of the season, we will do an interim homologation with jokers. Obviously, we will count all these jokers at the end, which gives them flexibility, and the same flexibility is associated with the cost cap. They will have the possibility to spend their money and their budget whenever they want, associated with the token development."

Bertrand: "You don't need to develop a full new car"

"That helped us a lot in our approach," describes Mahindra team boss Frederic Bertrand at Autosport. According to Bertrand, the new system played a key role in Mahindra's decision to compete as a manufacturer in the Gen4 era. "You don't need to develop a full new car. We thought that we could go step-by-step and develop our own car and not have to ask for a full budget again after two years. So that was a big step for us in the validation process."

"Following these regulations helps a lot because it reduces the craziness on the budget side a little bit," he adds. "You don't need to think of doing two cars in a period of four years; you can do one and a half cars, more or less."