Formula E's next generation of cars will have a dedicated heavy-wet tyre alongside an all-weather option, following the unveiling of Bridgestone's GEN4 range in Rome on 30 September. The FIA and championship confirmed the package on 1 October for the 2026/27 season.
Bridgestone will supply all teams with POTENZA GEN4 tyres and a separate POTENZA GEN4 for TYPHOON TYRE specification for heavy rain. The new range is designed for a car with 600 kW of peak power and permanent active all-wheel drive, placing a different set of demands on grip, wear and traction.
Durability and wet-weather development
In its technical explanation, Bridgestone says the all-weather tyre uses a specially developed polymer compound and recovered carbon black. Durability is part of the brief because Formula E tyres generally have to last through the race without a tyre change.
The heavy-wet version uses silica derived from rice husks and a design intended to disperse standing water. TYPHOON TYRE is the FIA's name for that heavy-wet specification. It gives the GEN4 programme a separate tyre for severe rain; actual race conditions will still determine whether a session can run.
Bridgestone reports more than 6,500 km of development testing with actual GEN4 cars in Europe. Its work assessed the contact patch, warm-up behaviour and performance over longer runs, alongside driver feedback. Those figures describe the manufacturer's development programme, rather than an independent comparison with rival tyres.
What the materials claim means
The manufacturer says it allocates a 65 per cent share of recycled and renewable materials to every GEN4 tyre. Its examples include carbon black sourced from end-of-life tyre pyrolysis oil and rice-husk silica.
The accompanying notes explain that the figure includes certified materials accounted for through a mass-balance system. In that process, certified and conventional inputs can be mixed, while the amount allocated to products is recorded separately. The claim therefore needs that accounting context when assessing the tyre's material content.
For teams preparing for GEN4, the immediate technical change is the combination of an all-weather race tyre and a distinct heavy-wet specification, developed around the new car's power and drivetrain.