After several delays, the FIA Formula E electric racing series is finally introducing mid-race fast-charging pitstops at the Jeddah E-Prix in Saudi Arabia in February. Drivers will have to take a mandatory pit stop, during which a 600-kW ultra-fast charger will provide a 10% energy boost.
Ever since the introduction of the third-generation Formula E racing cars in 2022, which feature two electric motors and a peak regenerative braking capacity of 600 kW, there has been talk of mid-race recharging to eliminate the need to conserve energy during the race. The feature was first promised for 2023, then postponed to 2024, and pushed back again… until now.
Jeddah to debut Pit Boost
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is introducing Pit Boost from the 2025 Jeddah E-Prix in Saudi Arabia, which takes place from 14 to 15 February. All drivers must take a 34-second pit stop, where a 600-kW ultra-fast charger will replenish the race car’s batteries by 10% (or 3.85 kWh) in just 30 seconds.
This is far quicker than current electric passenger car technology, which peaks at around 400 kW in cars like the Lotus Emeya. “As a series born to enhance the technology transfer from the race track to the road, it marks a step change for consumer vehicles and the future potential of EV performance,” says Alberto Longo, Co-Founder and Chief Championship Officer of Formula E.

Indeed, Formula E has presented itself from the beginning as a more relevant racing series for car manufacturers as we enter the electric era. Big-name brands like Porsche, Cupra, DS, Nissan, Jaguar, Maserati, and McLaren are already part of the series. EV specialist Lucid even delivers the front motors (which are only used for brake energy regeneration).
New strategy element
Of course, this new type of pit stop has some extra rules. The FIA will determine before each race in which window cars will be allowed to take their Pit Boost, and only two pit crew members can work on the car. Only one car per team is allowed to take its Pit Boost at a time.
An interesting addition to this new feature could be to let teams decide for themselves how long they take their charging stop. They could choose to lose less time in the pits or recharge the battery further to go flat-out for longer. But as for now, the 34-second stop will be universally applied to all teams.
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