The most significant development of the fifth season was the debut of the Spark SRT05e — the Gen2 car — which replaced the Spark-Renault SRT 01E that had been in use since the championship's inaugural 2014–15 season. The new car raised maximum power output from 200 kW to 250 kW and increased top speeds to approximately 280 km/h. Crucially, the Gen2 car carried enough battery capacity to last an entire race distance, ending the practice of mid-race car swaps that had defined the series' early years. The halo cockpit protection device was introduced in compliance with FIA regulations, and a new braking system was supplied exclusively by Brembo.
The season also introduced "attack mode," an additional 25 kW power boost activated by driving through a designated off-line zone on each circuit. The innovation, informally dubbed "Mario Kart mode," was designed to encourage strategic variation during races. Races were restructured to run for forty-five minutes plus one additional lap, replacing the previous fixed-lap format.
Thirteen rounds were contested across Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, North and South America. Saudi Arabia hosted Formula E for the first time, with a street circuit in the Ad Diriyah district of Riyadh replacing Hong Kong as the season opener. A new round in Sanya, China was added to the calendar. The series also returned to Monaco as part of its biennial rotation. The Swiss ePrix relocated from Zürich to Bern.
BMW entered Formula E as a manufacturer in partnership with Andretti Autosport, joining a grid that also welcomed HWA Racelab — a Mercedes affiliate — which formed a technical partnership with Venturi. Nissan replaced Renault as DAMS's powertrain partner; Renault cited the desire to focus on its Formula One programme. Techeetah switched to DS Automobiles powertrains, while Virgin Racing adopted Audi powertrains.
Felipe Massa, a veteran of Formula One stints with Sauber, Ferrari and Williams, made his Formula E debut with Venturi. Stoffel Vandoorne and Gary Paffett — the 2018 DTM champion — debuted with HWA Racelab. Pascal Wehrlein joined Mahindra Racing in place of Felix Rosenqvist, who had departed for IndyCar. Jérôme d'Ambrosio moved to Mahindra, and Robin Frijns returned to the series with Virgin Racing.
Alexander Albon had been contracted to drive for Nissan e.dams but was released from that agreement less than three weeks before the season opener after Toro Rosso secured him for the 2019 Formula One season. Oliver Rowland, who had contested a single race in 2015–16, stepped in as Albon's replacement.
Jean-Éric Vergne, driving for Techeetah, clinched his second consecutive Drivers' Championship after the first New York City ePrix. Techeetah simultaneously secured the Teams' Championship, their first. The 2019 Hong Kong ePrix served as the 50th race in Formula E history, a milestone that highlighted the championship's rapid growth since its debut in 2014. By that point Formula E had raced in 22 cities across 17 countries on five continents, and 13 manufacturers had competed in the series.
The Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy — a spec electric GT series using road-derived Jaguar I-Pace SUVs — ran as the championship's official support category at ten of the thirteen rounds. It was the first Formula E support series since the Greenpower Schools Series ran during the inaugural 2014–15 season.