Formula E is ramping up its attempts to secure a regular support series to race at some of its venues from 2027 and has held discussions with a present manufacturer that competes in the World Championship.
Previous talks and ideas were mooted with Porsche several years ago but did crystalise further, while an advanced plan to introduce a modified electric mini series for 2024 was cancelled at the last minute in April 2024.
Now, Formula E Notebook can reveal that a possibility exists with either Nissan, Lola, Stellantis or again Porsche to introduce a series of one-make electric cars to share the bill of some EPrixs, potentially as soon as 2027.
Nissan is launching its new Leaf model this year, while the Citroen and Opel brands will be introduced to Formula E over the next two seasons. Porsche has a range of all-electric models including the Macan and Taycan models, while Lola is known to be building an electric version of its legendary T70 sportscar.
“We’re in discussion with one of the manufacturers on the grid today about a potential support series in the way that Jaguar did with the I-Pace back in the early days,” Formula E CEO, Jeff Dodds told FEN in London this week.
Dodds also confirmed that its Vice-President of Sporting and former Indy 500 entrant Beth Paretta is having “a live conversation” with a manufacturer about a support race initiative.
Dodds also detailed that the current Gen3Evo cars may also carry on within a new support vehicle in the future. Formula E bought some of the rights to the defunct W Series in 2023 and has previously expressed a desire to potentially create a series for up and coming women racers.
“We have this question mark, which is the teams have invested and have these amazing cars in these agile Gen3 Evo cars,” said Dodds.
“And there has to be an opportunity to use them and get value out of that investment and to bring through young drivers into electric racing.
“We’re also looking at once the Gen 4 launches, where there’s an opportunity to deploy and do something with those Gen3 Evo cars, we might. The challenge I’ve given Beth is that we want more activity on track. We also want to create a pathway for people to come through into electric racing.”
“Whereas today it goes F4, F3, F2, and then you’re kind of F2, Formula E, Formula 1, there are very few seats. There has to be another opportunity for some of those F4, F3 drivers to come through into a different type of electric racing. So that’s the debate we’re having.”
NXT GEN Cup Re-Emergence Possible for 2026
The series known as NXT Gen Cup could re-emerge as a part support series to Formula E as soon as 2026 after recent talks re-ignited the possibility.
The moves come 18 months after an original deal for the series to race with Formula E floundered after a financial hurdle proved too difficult to negotiate.
The first race was supposed to take place at Misano in April 2024 and then take in races at Monaco, Berlin and London. However, despite some aspects of its paddock being built at Misano the series never took off after the arrangement collapsed.
“We’re back in discussion with them as we like them and that’s a possibility,” confirmed Dodds to FEN in London.
NXT Gen Cup, which is based in Sweden, is racing this season throughout Germany, supporting the DTM at its annual Norisring event and also at the Sachsenring where its season finale takes place in August.
