Mercedes and Porsche have both announced in recent days that they are going to become involved in Formula E in 2019. The decision comes because both companies want to be involved in the technical development of electrical systems, while also benefiting from the green image that Formula E likes to portray. The fact that Formula E is currently economically unsustainable and has a very small audience is not deemed to be important. The two German companies will join Renault, Audi, DS, Mahindra, Jaguar, BMW, China's NIO, which is developing a drivetrain for the NextEV team, Venturi which is working a power unit from Germany's ZF and Penske, which is to provide motors for the Faraday Future Dragon Racing operation. Audi will take over direct control of the ABT team, while BMW is expected to enter the series as an official manufacturer for Season 5, which will kick off in the autumn of 2018.
There are rumours that by then Renault will have handed over its entry in the series to sister company Nissan, as part of a streamlining of the sporting activities of the Renault Nissan alliance brands. Mercedes and Porsche will enter the series in the autumn of 2019, when the numbers of teams will increase to 12 - if all goes to plan. The series will reach an important milestone in the autumn of 2018 when there will be a futuristic new chassis, built by Frédéric Vasseur's Spark Racing Technology. At the same time the series will switch away from the mid-race car switch as the technology reaches a point that will allow the cars to run a full race distance. Despite all of this Formula E remains of limited marketing value as it is still not attracting large numbers of fans. Nonetheless, it provides manufacturers with a platform to show and develop their electric car technology.
“Entering Formula E and achieving success in this category are the logical outcomes of our Mission E road car programme," says Porsche's Michael Steiner. "The growing freedom for in-house technology developments makes Formula E attractive to us. For us, Formula E is the ultimate competitive environment for driving forward the development of high-performance vehicles in areas such as environmental friendliness, efficiency and sustainability.”
Mercedes says that it wants to be the benchmark in the premium segment and to explore innovative new projects.
"The combination of Formula One and Formula E delivers that," says Toto Wolff.
The announcements mean that Mercedes will quit DTM at the end of 2018 and Porsche will leave the World Endurance Championship at the end of this year. This means that both championships will need to have a rethink about the future.
What is interesting is that Wolff's remarks about the combination of Formula 1 and Formula E are just as valid for Porsche as they are for Mercedes.
Source : JSNL
“Entering Formula E and achieving success in this category are the logical outcomes of our Mission E road car programme," says Porsche's Michael Steiner. "The growing freedom for in-house technology developments makes Formula E attractive to us. For us, Formula E is the ultimate competitive environment for driving forward the development of high-performance vehicles in areas such as environmental friendliness, efficiency and sustainability.”
Mercedes says that it wants to be the benchmark in the premium segment and to explore innovative new projects.
"The combination of Formula One and Formula E delivers that," says Toto Wolff.
The announcements mean that Mercedes will quit DTM at the end of 2018 and Porsche will leave the World Endurance Championship at the end of this year. This means that both championships will need to have a rethink about the future.
What is interesting is that Wolff's remarks about the combination of Formula 1 and Formula E are just as valid for Porsche as they are for Mercedes.
Source : JSNL
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