Nissan has become the third manufacturer, following Mahindra and DS Automobiles, to commit to the next rules set of Formula E, meaning it will race in the new world championship until at least 2026.
As first reported by The Race a month ago, Nissan will extend its involvement in Formula E after agreeing terms with the FIA following further confirmations on the future technical and commercial landscape of the all-electric series.
Audi and BMW declined to continue its involvement beyond the present season but it is expected that most of the other current manufacturers – Jaguar, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz – will also race on.
Penske Autosports is also likely to continue in collaboration with new technical partners Bosch, but The Race understands that NIO333 is as yet undecided on its future as a powertrain manufacturer.
As revealed by The Race earlier this week, the deadline for manufacturers to commit to the new rules and thus receive the CAD data to begin their packaging for the new cars, which will debut at the end of next year, is next Wednesday.
However, the FIA will accept late entries beyond that deadline, but no details on the car, which is designed via a network of tender winners controlled by the FIA, will be given over until official commitment is made.
Nissan’s confirmation details that that it is working towards achieving “carbon neutrality across its operations and the life cycle of its products by 2050” and that the Japanese manufacturer intends to electrify all new Nissan vehicle offerings “by the early 2030s”.
“Nissan’s vision for cars goes far beyond simply modes of transport,” said Ashwani Gupta, Nissan’s chief operating officer. “We aim to design and build electric vehicles that transform the way communities connect and move, and inspire us all to work towards a sustainable society.
“For Nissan, Formula E helps us bring excitement, energy and the environment to the forefront as we deliver this vision of the future to an ever-growing, new, young and diverse audience.”
Nissan has taken two wins over the last two seasons, with Sebastien Buemi scoring its first victory at New York City in July of 2019. Oliver Rowland then claimed his first win and the Japanese manufacturers’’ second at the penultimate Berlin E-Prix last August.
Nissan has called its first seasons in Formula E ‘Phase One – road-to-track’ of technical objectives, which took “experience and learnings from the LEAF, Nissan’s most recognizable road-going EV, to develop the performance of the Nissan e.dams race car”.
Its first season was mired in controversy after its unique twin-MGU design was outlawed after a single season due to pressure from other teams, who suspected it used methods that were against the spirit of the rules to apply its power on the track.
This caused Nissan to modify its powertrain for the 2019-20 season. Its third variant will debut at next month’s Rome E-Prix after it took the ‘slot two’ option for homologation along with DS and Dragon Penske.
The Gen3 era will see Nissan embark on the so-called “Phase Two – track-to-road” programme of its technology transfer goals with the aim of encouraging ‘consumer adoption of its EVs.’
“We’ve achieved great results during our first two seasons and renewing our long-term commitment to Formula E is a key step,” said Tommaso Volpe, Nissan’s global motorsport director.
“We entered the sport with a “road-to-track” technical transfer approach, and by extending our racing program through the Gen3 era, we have the opportunity to close the circle with “track-to-road” technical transfer.
“We believe that, as one of the most global manufacturers involved in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, this sport is the perfect platform to promote our expertise in electrification and demonstrate our commitment to more sustainable mobility solutions.”
Mercedes and Porsche are expected to confirm their continuation in Formula E over the coming weeks.
