The streets of Modena, Italy provided the perfect backdrop for Maserati to unveil the livery for its first all-electric race car that will compete in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Finished in Maserati’s traditional blue, the Tipo Folgore Gen3 is set to race in Season 9 of the EV open-wheel racing series with Edoardo Mortara and Maximilian Günther driving for the factory team. Maserati is the first Italian automotive brand to enter Formula E, and the Tipo Folgore Gen3 is a homage to Maserati’s first race car: the Tipo 26 which debuted at the 1926 Targa Florio and finished first in its class.
Formula E’s ninth season is the debut of the series’ most powerful and efficient car to date. The front and rear powertrains deliver 600 kW (804 hp) of regenerative power and 95% power efficiency that allows for more than 40% of the energy used in a race to come from regenerative braking. Maserati is attempting to parlay the technology, software and track experience from racing in Formula E to the brand’s high-end road cars. The Italian vehicle manufacturer will release its first 100% electric vehicle in 2023 and is attempting to produce only electric vehicles by 2030.
I’m a Formula E fan so it’s good to see a lot of manufacturers embracing EV racing as a possible means to advance automotive technology. The series is growing, and more factory teams are now embracing Formula E as opposed to F1. Maserati, Nissan, Jaguar and Porsche are on the grid for the 2023 season and, to me, it’s a signal that Formula E is bona fide and will be around for a while.
The Maserati Tipo Folgore will head to Valencia, Spain, for pre-season testing. Then it’s off to Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez City in Mexico City for the 2023 season-opening race on January 14.
