Formula E Electric Car Smashes World Indoor Speed Record

• Formula E driver Jake Hughes drove a GENBETA—a modified Gen3 car—to a record speed of 139.9 mph.

• The record-setting run came in the first all-wheel drive Formula E car.

• The GENBETA was created by Formula E and the FIA using the all-electric Gen3 race car with 400kW of power.

Formula E racing technology now has a Guinness World Record and the GENBETA is the new king of indoor acceleration.

Formula E driver Jake Hughes drove a GENBETA—a modified Gen3 car—to a record speed of 139.9 mph (218.71 kph) on the indoor straight of a 1.3-mile course that ran inside and outside the ExCeL London events arena. Hughes navigated a 130-degree turn at approximately 25 mph before turning the car loose down a 378-yard straight.

The previous record was 102.65 mph and was set in 2021 by a Porsche Taycan in a New Orleans convention center.

The new speed mark was measured at a point five yards before a breaking zone inside the London center, recorded and certified by Guinness World Records representatives. Hughes along with fellow Formula E driver Lucas di Grassi took shots at the world record during the night session.

“Driving the GENBETA car and setting the Guinness World Records title for the fastest speed achieved by a vehicle indoors was a really special experience," said Hughes, who drivers for the NEOM McLaren Formula E team. "I feel very honored to have been asked and to be involved in such an exciting project.

"It wasn’t something I ever imagined I’d have the opportunity to even attempt, so now to hold the record is pretty incredible, especially in a Formula E car. I didn’t realize how much I wanted this record until I saw Lucas (Di Grassi) trying to break the record after me. When I was announced I was the record holder I felt a massive sense of pride.”

The GENBETA was created by Formula E and the FIA using the all-electric Gen3 race car with 400kW of power and modifications by championship partners SABIC and Hankook.

Other modifications to the car included:

• Enhanced battery power output of 400kW, up from 350kW in the GEN3, through the activation of the front powertrain kit in traction, delivering all-wheel drive for the first time in a Formula E car.

• Softer iON Race tire compound allowing faster warm-up and better peak grip, developed by Hankook Tire.

• 3D printed front wing endplates, wheel fins and a wind deflector with circular, more sustainable thermoplastic solutions developed by SABIC to optimize aerodynamics for enhanced straight-line speed of the GENBETA.

“The GENBETA is the first time that four-wheel drive has been activated in a single-seater race car for both acceleration and braking regeneration," said Alessandra Ciliberti, Formula E technical manager, FIA. "This was achieved by turning on the front powertrain kit to achieve greater traction during acceleration. The GENBETA showcases what will be possible for Formula E racing in the near future.”