Formula E Gen3 Race Car Breaks Indoor Land Speed World Record

The feat was achieved in an ‘unlocked’ Gen3 Formula E car, which is faster than the current race-spec version.

Written by Ali Pardiwala, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 28 July 2023 14:22 IST

Formula E Gen3 Race Car Breaks Indoor Land Speed World Record

NEOM McLaren’s Jake Hughes achieved the world record speed of 218.71km/h

Highlights

Formula E is a single-seater championship for electric cars
The Gen3 car is in use in the 2022-23 Formula E season
The record-breaking attempt took place in London

Formula E has broken the indoor land speed world record during a recent duel race taking place ahead of the London E-Prix 2023, the final race of the 2022-23 Formula E season. The successful record attempt took place at the ExCel arena in London, with NEOM McLaren driver Jake Hughes achieving a speed of 218.71km/h on a 346m straight stretch of the circuit. The feat was achieved in the Formula E Gen3 car, which is currently in use in the 2022-23 season, albeit in an ‘unlocked' ‘GENBETA' variant that is capable of better performance.

The fact that the top speed was achieved in such a short section of the track is notable in showcasing both the sheer acceleration and power of the GENBETA Formula E cars, which will eventually lead to the next generation of Formula E race-spec cars. The current race-spec Gen3 Formula E car is capable of a top speed of 322km/h, with a rated maximum power of 350kW, limited to 300 kW during racing. The ‘unlocked' variant for the record attempt had an increased power output of 400kW, delivering all-wheel drive for more power.

The record attempt took place in the form of a ‘duel' between NEOM McLaren's Jake Hughes and Mahindra Racing's Lucas di Grassi, with both drivers easily breaking the previous indoor land speed record of 165.2km/h. After three practice runs each, both drivers took off on measured official runs, where Hughes came out on top with a speed of 218.71km/h, which was the highest among all runs by both drivers including the practice runs.

The 2023 Formula E championship comes to an end on July 30 with the London E-Prix, with British driver Jake Dennis of the Avalanche Andretti Formula E team leading the championship standings. Notably, this season also saw the inclusion of the Hyderabad ePrix, the first race in the Formula E championship to be held in India, which was won by French race car driver Jean Eric-Vergne.

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Further reading: Formula E, Formula E Gen3 Cars, Formula E London E Prix, Racing, Motorsport, Mahindra Racing, NEOM, McLaren, NEOM McLaren Formula E, Hyderabad ePrix, Formula 1, Automobile, World record, Speed