Nissan confirms Formula E entry
Baku, October 25, AZERTAC
Nissan has confirmed it will enter Formula E from 2018/19, according to motorsport.com.
The Japanese manufacturer announced on Wednesday at the Tokyo Motor Show that it will enter the electric single-seater series in place of an existing manufacturer.
This month, this will be at the expense of Renault.
Nissan and Renault are part of the same motorsport group and discussions have been ongoing for some time about replacing the French marque in FE with the Nissan brand.
Official confirmation of Renault’s withdrawal as a technical partner and backer of the e.dams FE team will be communicated later on Wednesday.
This will free up Renault to focus on its works Formula 1 team, which is in the second season of its revival.
As e.dams holds the FE entry it is expected to operate the Nissan team, which will utilize a powertrain that bears the Nissan name but has been developed by Renault for the past two years.
Nissan is a major player in the electric vehicle industry, with its LEAF the best-selling EV in the world, and will becomes the first Japanese motor manufacturer to compete in the series.
Daniele Schillaci, executive vice president of global marketing and sales, zero-emission vehicles and battery business, and chairman of Nissan’s management committee for Japan, Asia and Oceania, said it provided a "global platform" to share its electric mobility strategy.
Nissan has been without a flagship international race programme since axing its failed LMP1 project at the end of 2015.
It will join BMW as a fully fledged manufacturer in 2018/19, with Mercedes and Porsche joining officially one season later.
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