The FIA and Formula E will allow manufacturers to introduce hardware upgrades to their Gen4 cars through a new token-based system, replacing the current mid-cycle Evo update format.
The process is similar in principle to the system used in the Hypercar class of the FIA World Endurance Championship, where manufacturers are allocated five joker upgrades over a five-year homologation cycle. However, unlike the WEC model, where upgrades can be applied broadly across the car, the FIA will assign a fixed number of tokens to specific components.
The change represents a significant shift in the championship’s development philosophy. Under Gen3 regulations, manufacturers were required to homologate their entire powertrain package at the start of the cycle, with no hardware updates permitted until the mid-life Evo upgrade introduced for the 2024-25 season. Software developments, however, remained open between seasons.
FIA technical manager for Formula E Vincent Gaillardot said the new structure was designed to offer greater flexibility and give struggling manufacturers a better chance of catching up to the competition.
“Previously, the homologation cycle was two years. When the manufacturers homologated the car, they had no possibility to update their car for a two-year period,” Gaillardot told Motorsport.com.
“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.
Porsche Formula E, GEN4
Photo by: Porsche
“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 [in those areas] during the four-year cycle.
“They choose when they want [to introduce these updates], and 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.”
New rule keeps costs in check
Mahindra team principal Frederic Bertrand welcomed the shift towards token-based development in Gen4, saying it will help keep costs under control.
He explained that scrapping the Evo model means manufacturers will no longer have to develop effectively an all-new car midway through the rules cycle. Instead, teams will be able to focus their resources on addressing specific weaknesses relative to their rivals.
Mahindra’s Gen4 Formula E car
Photo by: Mahindra Racing
“Up to now, we had to produce a Gen3 and a Gen3 Evo car, which were kind of two [different] developments,” Bertrand told Motorsport.com. “Now you have a GEN4 that you can work for the full length of the homologation period with some jokers, where you can improve the performance in the areas of weakness. You don’t need to develop a full new car.
“Let’s say that your gearbox is a bit weaker, or you can find a better evolution, then you have a certain amount of jokers per element.
“That helped us a lot in our approach. 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 [in signing up for Gen4].
“Following these regulations helps a lot because it reduces the craziness on the budget side a little bit. 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.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
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