Nissan has bought the e.dams Formula E race team and will take full ownership of its involvement in the World Championship.
The Japanese automaker entered Formula E in 2018 in partnership with the e.dams team, but the new acquisition sees the company double down on its commitment to the electric racing series through to 2026.
The e.dams team is currently based in Le Mans, France, home to the iconic 24-hour endurance race and it will continue to race as planned in the ongoing season. The change in ownership and new management structure will take place with immediate effect. Tommaso Volpe, General Manager Nissan Formula E, will also become Managing Director at e.dams
“These are exciting times for all of us at Nissan, our fans and customers everywhere,” said Ashwani Gupta, Nissan’s chief operating officer.
“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.
“The acquisition of the e.dams team not only reconfirms our long-term commitment to Formula E, but also to the exciting, high-performance world of motorsports competition as a whole. But we don’t only love to compete. We’re also passionate about delivering innovative and exciting driving experiences while demonstrating our commitment to zero-emission and sustainable solutions. This acquisition will further empower us in the strategic electrification objectives of our business.”
Nissan says that it will continue to race in Formula E, while manufacturers including Audi, BMW, and Mercedes have pulled out, as the series brings “the excitement and fun of zero-emission electric vehicles to a global and diverse audience.”
The automaker also says that its involvement in the series is part of its goal to become carbon-neutral by 2050 and have a completely electrified lineup by the early 2030s.
“This is an important step in our Formula E project. As the pinnacle of all-electric racing, Formula E gives us an engaging global platform from which we can show customers that EVs are not only fun and thrilling, but also that Nissan continues to be at the cutting edge of EV technology,” said Volpe.
“We were happy to enter the sport in 2018 in partnership with e.dams. We have had a strong and successful collaboration, and we have learnt a great deal from their long-term experience in the series. We have a fantastic team in place, and we are looking forward to building on our success and experience together as a team, and to beginning this new chapter in our Formula E involvement.”
The Nissan e.dams team currently sits eighth in the Formula E championship and driver Sebastien Buemi achieved a ninth-place finish at the most recent race in Rome.
