Porsche commits to second Formula E entry from 2026/27 season

Porsche will have four cars on the Formula E grid from the 2026/27 season after acquiring a second licence in the all-electric series.

Key details:

• Porsche Motorsport will field two teams under its own marque from 2026/27 
• The German manufacturer also commits to one customer team, likely Cupra Kiro
• This means Formula E will likely have 24 cars from 2026/27, if rumoured Opel entry comes to fruition

Context:

This is a surprising move from Porsche. The German marque recently withdrew from the World Endurance Championship (WEC) amid a challenging financial period. The carmaker has also delayed new electric vehicle production, prioritising combustion and hybrid models under new chief executive Michael Leiters – a sign of the pressure European manufacturers are facing from cheaper Chinese competitors.

Despite these factors, Porsche has doubled down on its commitment to Formula E. While much about the new entry remains unconfirmed, it is believed the second outfit will operate as a junior team of sorts, similar to Red Bull’s feeder model in Formula One. Florian Modlinger, Porsche’s director of factory motorsport and its Formula E team principal, told The Race: “How it will look and how it will be named and branded exactly, it is too early to speak about.”

Comment:

“Motorsport shapes our brand,” said Thomas Laudenbach, vice president of Porsche Motorsport. “Our heritage in traditional motorsport is unique and is reflected in every Porsche. In the future, we want to be able to say the same about electric motorsport.

“Compared to other racing series, Formula E offers a very attractive balance between effort and return. It also gives us the opportunity to further develop technical solutions that are relevant to our production sports cars. Among other things, we want to use this adaptation to find and promote new talent at all levels, not just drivers.

“In marketing the additional cars, we want to create as much independence as possible and not simply expand our existing presence. Next year marks 75 years of Porsche Motorsport – a success story that shall be shaped by a wide variety of stories from electric motorsport in the future.”

Jeff Dodds, chief executive of Formula E, said: “The commitment by Porsche to acquire an additional license from Season 13 (2026/27) of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship demonstrates significant strength in our series and its dedication to innovation and electrification at the pinnacle of motorsport.

“Porsche has been an important part of the Formula E family since 2019, during which time they have been successful in securing teams’, manufacturers’ and drivers’ world championships.

“They are a proven success in transfer of race to road technology, with their road cars boasting innovations that have been developed directly from the race track in Formula E. With the significant performance advancements planned for the Gen4 cars, the grid for the 2026/27 season is already looking strong.”

Go deeper:

• Formula E 2025 season review: Social media wins, viewership spin, and chasing F1
• Idris Elba, MrBeast, and untapped potential: How Cupra Kiro plan to transcend Formula E