Nissan has been racing in Formula E as a partner of the e.dams team since it made its debut at the circuit back in 2018. Now, the Japanese automaker has announced that it’s no longer just e.dams’ partner: It has acquired the racing team and has become its full owner. According to The Race, Nissan had a minority stake in the team prior to its acquisition from previous owners Olivier and Gregory Driot, children of Jean-Paul Driot, who founded the organization.
Formula E supplies competitors with the same chassis, and it’s up to manufacturers to equip it with their own powertrain. For its debut vehicle back in 2018, Nissan took cues from the Leaf’s increased battery range and power — and it plans to continue “transferring knowledge and technology” between its Formula E and consumer cars going forward. Presumably, that means if it discovers a breakthrough technology for electric vehicles while working on a Formula E car, it will apply what it learned to its consumer vehicle models, as well. As Nissan COO Ashwani Gupta said in a statement:
“We have been on the grid for over 85 years, and our desire to win continuously accelerates us forward. We learn as we race, and the relentless pace of technological progression that drives the Formula E championship will provide us with many opportunities to inform and develop even better cars for customers.”
In 2021, Nissan announced that it’s investing $17.6 billion in the development of new electric vehicles and battery tech over the next five years. Its goal is to develop 23 electrified models by 2030 and to have a fleet that’s 40 percent electrified in the US and in China by the same year.
