Formula E is the most urban motorsport championship in the world, and by design. The series runs on street circuits in city centres — Rome, Monaco, Tokyo, São Paulo — because the decision was made at founding that electric racing should be visible, loud enough to surprise, and embedded in the fabric of cities rather than at circuits in accessible-but-peripheral locations. The London ePrix, held at ExCeL London in the Royal Docks area of east London, brings this logic to one of the world's great cities and produces a race weekend that is, by the standards of the ExCeL's usual trade show calendar, genuinely strange and rather excellent.
- London ePrix at ExCeL, Royal Docks, 20 July 2026
- Formula E features electric cars on urban street circuits
- Gen3 cars reach 322km/h and produce a high-pitched sound
- XLDN offers hospitality and paddock access for members
Formula E began in 2014 as the world's first fully electric single-seater racing series. The technology has changed substantially since then: current Gen3 cars produce 350kW of power (approximately 470bhp), reach 0–100km/h in under 2.8 seconds, and have a top speed of 322km/h. The noise level — a matter of frequent discussion — is different from, not quieter than, conventional motorsport. The cars produce a high-pitched electronic whine at high speed and a more complex sound during acceleration that is, at close proximity, louder than it appears on television and louder than many first-time attendees expect.
The ExCeL circuit is a semi-permanent course built through the docklands area around the exhibition centre, using the roads and spaces that surround the building as the racing surface. The layout changes slightly each year but characteristically includes a mix of tight corners that produce frequent incidents and one or two faster sections where the cars hit their top speed. The architecture of the Royal Docks — the ExCeL building, the waterway, the general post-industrial character of the area — provides a backdrop that is very different from Silverstone or Goodwood.
Formula E has a young, international, and generally urban fanbase, and the London ePrix reflects this. The event is more festival-like in atmosphere than traditional motorsport events, with music, technology demonstrations, and sustainability programming running alongside the racing. For those interested in where automotive technology is heading, the paddock at Formula E is one of the most interesting environments in sport — engineers from the best teams in the world working on a technology that will define personal transport over the next two decades.
XLDN can source hospitality and paddock access across the London ePrix weekend, advise on the format (the event typically runs across two days, with qualifying and a race on each day)
, and handle transport to ExCeL, which is best reached via the Elizabeth Line to Custom House.
**KEY FACTS**
DATE — 20 July 2026
VENUE — ExCeL London, Royal Docks, London
CATEGORY — Motorsport / Formula E
ACCESS — Price on application — request via your concierge
XLDN ACCESS — Available to XLDN members · Request via concierge
**FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS**
*Q: What is Formula E racing?*
A: Formula E is the FIA World Championship for fully electric single-seater racing cars. Founded in 2014, it races on street circuits in major cities worldwide. The London ePrix at ExCeL is one of the most popular rounds on the calendar.
*Q: Is Formula E loud?*
A: Yes. Current Gen3 Formula E cars produce a distinctive high-pitched electronic sound that is louder than television coverage suggests. Ear protection is advisable, particularly for children.
*Q: How do I get to ExCeL London?*
A: ExCeL is served by the Elizabeth Line, with Custom House station immediately adjacent to the venue. The journey from central London is approximately 25 minutes. It is one of the easier major event venues to reach by public transport.
*Q: How does Formula E racing differ from Formula 1?*
A: Formula E uses fully electric cars on street circuits in city centres; Formula 1 uses combustion (now hybrid) engines on purpose-built and street circuits globally. Formula E cars are slower than F1 cars but technologically more representative of near-future automotive development. The racing tends to be closer due to the circuit types chosen.
Share this opening
