Before entering Formula E, Buemi competed in Formula One with Scuderia Toro Rosso from 2009 to 2011, scoring points in several races and establishing himself as a reliable single-seater talent. After being dropped by Toro Rosso at the end of 2011, he joined the FIA World Endurance Championship with Toyota, a programme that ran concurrently with his Formula E career and produced four Le Mans victories. It was this dual-series background that made him one of the more versatile figures in motorsport through the mid-2010s.
Buemi joined e.dams alongside Nicolas Prost for the inaugural Formula E season in 2014–15. His first win came at Punta del Este in Uruguay, and he went on to win in Monaco and London, finishing second in the championship by a single point behind Nelson Piquet Jr.
The 2015–16 season established Buemi as the series' dominant force. He won the opening round in Beijing from pole position and, despite mechanical issues in Malaysia while leading, maintained consistent form to build a title lead. The championship reached a dramatic conclusion in London, where rival Lucas di Grassi collided with Buemi at the first corner of the decisive race. The title was then settled on fastest-lap bonus points, and Buemi secured it by setting the fastest lap in his second car to become the 2015–16 Formula E champion.
In 2016–17, Buemi won the first three rounds of the season, becoming the first Formula E driver to take three consecutive victories. He added further wins at Monaco, Paris, and Berlin, but was unable to contest the New York City event due to his WEC commitments with Toyota. Red Bull F1 reserve Pierre Gasly substituted for him there. Buemi was also disqualified from two races for technical infringements, and the combined loss of points allowed di Grassi to take the title at the final race. In 2017–18, the e.dams Renault package was less competitive; Buemi scored consistently but did not win a race, and the team dropped to fifth in the constructors' standings.
When e.dams switched from Renault to Nissan for the 2018–19 season, Buemi was retained as lead driver, initially alongside Alexander Albon before Albon departed for Formula One and was replaced by Oliver Rowland. The season was difficult, punctuated by mechanical failures, a crash in Santiago while leading, and an energy miscalculation that saw both Buemi and Rowland run out of energy a lap from the finish. However, Buemi recovered in the second half of the year to claim victory in the first New York City race, rising from 13th to second in the championship by the season's end.
In 2019–20, Buemi finished fourth in the standings. The following two seasons with Nissan yielded diminishing returns. In 2021–22, his new teammate was Maximilian Günther, but neither driver was able to challenge for wins or podiums, and Buemi finished 15th in the standings.
In October 2022, Buemi moved to Envision Racing on a two-year deal, partnering Nick Cassidy. He scored his first pole position since the 2019 New York round in Diriyah during the 2022–23 season opener and took points from both Saudi races. A third-place finish in Hyderabad was stripped due to an overpower infringement. He remained with Envision for the 2023–24 season alongside Robin Frijns after Cassidy left for Jaguar, and extended his deal further into the 2025–26 season.
Buemi's eight-year stint with e.dams and its successor Nissan e.dams was the longest unbroken association between a driver and a team structure in Formula E's early history. His one championship, multiple race wins across five seasons, and near-title campaigns in two further seasons established him as a reference point for consistency and longevity at the series' highest competitive level.