The NIO333 operation has signed up to the new Formula E Gen3 rules package to ensure that it joins DS, Jaguar, Mahindra, Nissan and Porsche in retaining its manufacturer status for the 2022-2026 period.
Owned by Shanghai Lisheng Racing, the manufacturer arm of the NIO333 team has a strong technical partnership with the Integral Powertrain company, which provides design and R&D processes for its current 2021 car.
NIO333 recently also announced a link-up with the GUSTO Engineering, an engineering and technical division of the GUSTO Group managed by Alex Hui, who became the executive director of the NIO333 team last month.
“We have experienced the development of Formula E since its inception and now, as it blossoms into an FIA World Championship, we welcome the evolution in to its third generation,” commented Vincent Wang, the CEO of the Formula E team.
NIO333 attended the recent technical working group meeting which The Race understands was frequented by all of the current Formula E manufacturers bar Mercedes.
Mercedes is yet to sign up to the new rules due to ongoing negotiations with the commercial rights holders of Formula E, Formula E Holdings Ltd.
Penske Autosport, which provides hardware for the Dragon Penske Autosport operation, is yet to publicly confirm its intentions but is known to have participated in the working group earlier this month when initial Gen 3 architecture data was provided.
“We joined many meetings with the FIA and Formula E regarding the Gen3 technical roadmap when we joined the Formula E family as 333 Racing last year,” confirmed Wang.
“Formula E is still the best new-energy racing series featuring sustainable development, worldwide influence and is at the forefront of electric mobility technology innovation – we at NIO 333 Formula E Team are extremely proud to continue to be part of it.”
Jamie Reigle, Formula E CEO, said that NIO333’s commitment showed “further evidence of Formula E’s unique position as a global sport, technology proving ground and marketing platform”.
“The team has made a strategic decision to build their own powertrain and control their competitive destiny.”
NIO333 has seen a recent resurgence in form after it failed to score a point in the 2019-20 season.
It has scored in each of the four races held so far in 2021, and places 11th in the standings, having already scored more points than in the two previous seasons combined.
