Formula E: Porsche’s New 975 RSE GEN4 Racecar

Porsche has unveiled its new generation of Formula E racecar, the 975 RSE, for use in Formula E Season 13 and onwards. 

The car offers even stronger acceleration than current models and top speed that exceeds 330 km per hour. 

It is Porsche’s GEN 4 Formula E car, which delivers a 600 kW output, massively building on the GEN3 Evo's 350 kW. The 975 RSE is expected to make its race debut in December 2026. 

Porsche’s GEN4 racecar

The GEN4 features permanent all-wheel drive, new tyres and significantly increased downforce. It is the fastest accelerating car in Formula E history, capable of 0 to 60 in 1.8 seconds, driven by its massive jump in peak power. 

The 975 RSE first took to the track in November 2025 and had completed 1,860 test km by early April 2026.

Unlike previous generations that used front-motor power only in specific "boost" modes, the GEN4 utilises active torque distribution across all four wheels at all times. 

This eliminates wheel spin and provides a 30% faster launch than a current Formula 1 car, allowing the GEN4 to maintain maximum traction even when accelerating out of the tightest street-circuit hairpins.

Olivier Champenois, Technical Project Leader Formula E at Porsche Motorsport, explains: “Within roughly a decade, Formula E has become so fast that aerodynamic downforce is now a necessity. However, downforce always comes with drag and increases energy consumption. 

“To maintain a strong focus on efficiency, we use two different aero packages with distinct bodywork components: a low‑downforce package with reduced drag for the races and a high‑downforce package for qualifying, where energy consumption isn’t relevant. We are talking about up to 150% more downforce compared to the GEN3 Evo.”

The technical components 

In Formula E, manufacturers primarily develop the technical components that are also relevant for EVs for the road. In house developments include operating software, pulse inverter, electric motor, gearbox, differential, drive shafts and other drivetrain components on the rear axle, as well as cooling, carrier and suspension components.

With the introduction of GEN4, several additional components are added, including the DC/DC converter and the brake‑by‑wire system, further electronics and wiring looms, as well as control units for the hydraulic differentials. For cost reasons, the battery remains a standard supplied component that isn’t developed by Porsche.

Florian Modlinger, Director Factory Motorsport Formula E at Porsche, says: “The concept remains the same: the regulations force us to maximise the efficiency of our cars in every respect, because that makes us relevant for the road. 

“The races should become even more attractive, as the new cars are considerably faster. The acceleration is impressive, and we expect top speeds of up to 335 km/h. I’m very curious to see how the fans will react.”

Porsche’s place in Formula E

The Porsche 975 RSE follows on from the current 99X Electric, Porsche’s most successful Formula E car to date, which has won four world championship titles over the past three seasons.

Porsche’s Season 12 Formula E drivers, Pascal Wehrlein and Nico Müller, have delivered one win, four podiums and 133 points for the 2025/2026 season. 

The team has until October 2026 to develop its most extensive hardware package for Formula E to date as far as possible. After that, Porsche’s focus of the GEN4 975 RSE will shift to the continuous optimisation of the software in the 2026/2027 season. 

Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport, says: “The GEN4 shows how far electric vehicles have evolved.

“When the championship started in 2014, every driver needed two cars per race. One battery alone was not enough to cover the full race distance. Those days are long gone.

"Since 2024, we have been developing a race car that puts us on the level of Formula 2 cars. EVs are not only catching up with the standards we are used to; their strengths are becoming increasingly evident, on the track and on the road.”