The Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has today released the names of the nine manufacturers that have been granted powertrain homologation from the 2018/19 season of the all-electric FIA Formula E Championship.
This round of powertrain homologations means the approved list of manufacturers falls into line with the new cycle of homologation for the chassis and battery, which will remain standard over the course of three seasons, starting from Season 5 – 2018/19 – 2020/21.
Therefore, any new manufacturer wishing to homologate its powertrain will be able to do so for Season 6 for a two-year period, or the following season for an annual duration.
The manufacturers are:
ABT Formel E BMW AG DS Automobiles Jaguar Land Rover Mahindra Racing NextEV NIO Penske Autosport Renault Venturi Automobiles
“The FIA Formula E Championship has been going for a little over three years now and already it has established itself as one of the most interesting and innovative racing series, not just because of the actual format of the events but also and above all, because of its technical development,” commented FIA president Jean Todt. “The homologation of the powertrains that will be used from Season 5 is a very significant step because it means the cars will be able to run for twice as long while, at the very least, maintaining the same performance level. This highlights how motorsport can stimulate and accelerate development of new technologies, which can then be applied to road cars and in this case it has even more of a key role, given that at the moment, electricity is one of the more practical alternatives when it comes to finding new forms of more sustainable mobility in the future.”
“The mission of the FIA Formula E Championship is to act as a platform to advance the development of electric vehicle technology and alternative energy solutions – this hinges on the participation of automotive and component manufacturers,” added Alejandro Agag, founder and CEO of Formula E. “When we launched the series in 2012, we had forecast to secure at least three manufacturers by Season 5. The news today has highlighted the number and quality of manufacturers joining the championship and tripling our initial expectations. This just goes to show the relevance of Formula E to the motor industry and as an attractive proposition to new audiences and commercial partners, such as the recent agreement with Allianz.”
The 2018/19 season will also see the debut of the new-look Formula E car, whose shape has been inspired and defined by the FIA with the aim of having a futuristic and appealing design. It will be produced by Spark Racing Technology, who won the chassis tender. From Season 5, there will also be a new standard battery produced by McLaren Applied Technologies. With the new battery, Formula E will no longer require two cars per driver and the potential of a mid-race car change.
