Thursday night Formula E tweeted out the above image teasing the “Gen 2 Evo” chassis, which is expected to be a facelifted aerokit for the Spark SRT05e chassis. This should be the car used for season seven (2020/21) and extend through the end of season eight before Gen 3 is introduced.
It may not seem like much, but there are a few takeaways from this teaser image. For one, the Gen 2 Evo will feature open wheels again, removing the wheel surrounds from the front wheels. Further, it looks like the car’s front wing won’t extent out quite as far as the nosecone like it does currently. It’s difficult to tell from the angle, but it looks like the nose cone may be pointed at a sharper angle as well.
Last summer it was mooted that a so-called gen 2.5 update would get a weaker front end to “self punish” drivers for being too aggressive with the proverbial chrome horn. Given some of the antics on display at the most recent ePrix in Santiago, Chile, this will be a welcome change for many.
For reference, here’s what the current spec car looks like, this one is Porsche’s 99X Electric.
The new Evo car will be officially launched on February 4. I look forward to the aero updates and a car that rewards a more delicate approach to overtaking. I personally think the current car is one of the best looking race cars in the world right now, and fittingly alien for a series attempting to be the future.
It’s already great racing, but this will make drivers think twice about a dive-bomb up the inside. That will only be a good thing.