Season 4 was significant as the final year the Spark-Renault SRT 01E chassis — which had been used since the inaugural 2014–15 season — would compete. A completely new car package was planned for the 2018–19 season, making Season 4 the close of Formula E's first technological era. The mandatory mid-race car swap, a defining feature of Seasons 1 through 4, would also end with the Gen2 car's introduction.
Lucas di Grassi entered as the defending Drivers' Champion. Renault e.dams began as the defending Teams' Champion, having won three consecutive titles.
The maximum race power was increased from 170 kW to 180 kW. The fastest-lap bonus point was restricted to drivers finishing in the top ten, ending the practice of teams sending out cars with no realistic finishing intention purely to claim a fastest-lap point — a loophole that had occasionally distorted results.
The season introduced new races in Santiago, Rome, and Zurich — the first motorsport circuit race held in Switzerland since 1955. The Buenos Aires round was discontinued, Monaco was absent due to the Historic Grand Prix of Monaco taking place in 2018, and the planned Sao Paulo race was postponed and replaced by a return to Punta del Este in Uruguay. The Montreal ePrix was cancelled in December 2017 after the Mayor of Montreal cited rising costs to taxpayers, reducing the season to twelve rounds.
Team name changes reflected increased manufacturer involvement: Abt Schaeffler Audi Sport became Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler, signalling Audi's deeper commitment. Faraday Future Dragon Racing became simply Dragon Racing after the departure of its technology sponsor.
Nelson Piquet Jr., the inaugural champion, moved from China Racing to Jaguar Racing. Former IndyCar and GP2 driver Luca Filippi replaced him at what had become NIO Formula E. World Endurance Championship winner Neel Jani joined Dragon Racing but left after just one weekend to focus on WEC, replaced by Jose Maria Lopez. Andre Lotterer, a multiple Le Mans winner, joined Techeetah alongside Jean-Eric Vergne. Edoardo Mortara made his Formula E debut with Venturi. Kamui Kobayashi was brought in by Andretti for the Hong Kong opener to fulfill sponsor obligations, with Tom Blomqvist then taking over until Paris.
Vergne had shown flashes of pace in previous seasons, particularly in his second year. Season 4 saw him convert that potential into a title campaign built on consistency and clean execution. He accumulated wins and podiums throughout the year, outscoring di Grassi and Sam Bird, who finished second and third respectively.
Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler's Teams' Championship win over Techeetah by two points reflected the closeness of competition at the top of the field, mirroring the narrow margins that had defined previous seasons.
Season 4 closed the first chapter of Formula E. The four-year run of the SRT 01E and the car-swap format had established the series as a credible racing championship and a platform for manufacturer electric vehicle development. Vergne's title added a French champion to a list that had previously featured a Brazilian, a Swiss-based driver, and a Brazilian again — reinforcing that no single nationality or manufacturer bloc dominated the field. The season served as the final proof-of-concept before the Gen2 era, which would bring substantially more power, a single-car race format, and accelerated manufacturer investment.