It was not surprising that Nissan was the first Japanese carmaker to enter Formula E, the all-electric single-seater championship series. After all, the carmaker could be considered the pioneer in starting mass production of electric vehicles (EVs) with its LEAF. However, when it first participated in 2018, the fifth season of the series, it did so with the e.dams team.
Following its entry that year, the team was a regular each season and in March 2021, Nissan confirmed further commitment to Formula E until the end of Season 12 (2025/26). Earlier this year, Nissan decided it was ready to take on a direct involvement in the team and acquired it in April. It finished off the season with the Gen2 racing car as the all-new Gen3 version was being developed for 2023.
The new season will see the team adopting its new name – the Nissan Formula E Team – with its Gen3 car designated the Nissan e-4ORCE 04. The team also has new drivers – Frenchman Norman Nato and Franco-Argentine Sacha Fenestraz – bringing a combination of experience and youth. Since 2018, Nato, a Formula E winner before, has been with the ROKIT Venturi Racing and Jaguar TCS teams.
The new racing cars have brand-new livery featuring an eye-catching Sakura (cherry blossom) pattern. The choice of such livery with the iconic flower of Japan signifies the team’s Japanese DNA and also symbolizes and celebrates a new beginning.
With the new regulations for Season 9 in 2023, the Gen3 models are the fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient electric racing cars ever built. With a disruptive design inspired by the aerodynamic form of a fighter jet, they will be capable of over 322 km/h. The powerful electric motors will have around 95% power efficiency, generating up to 350 kW (equivalent to 470 ps), compared to approximately 40% for an internal combustion engine.
Nissan has much experience in EV powertrains and also has a long history in motorsport, so it will have a very competitive racing car. It will also supply its EV powertrain to the McLaren team.
While the various partners of the Nissan Formula E team are involved with the mechanical aspects, there is one partner – the Woolmark Company – which is providing its expertise in developing a high-performance team kit using Merino wool. Soft on skin, Merino wool offers unbeatable moisture management, thermoregulation and breathability properties, making it perfectly engineered to a performance-lead environment.
For the first time, Merino wool has been put to the test through the Nissan Formula E Team uniform. “Our technical team worked hand-in-hand to craft a performance-oriented team kit, driving unexpected product offerings, thanks to the inherent technical and eco-credentials of the fibre”, said The Woolmark Company Managing Director, John Roberts.
“Electrification is at the centre of Nissan’s long-term vision, with Formula E playing an expanding role in it,” said Ashwani Gupta, Nissan’s Chief Operating Officer. “Season 9 marks a new era for Nissan’s participation in the championship. It will be our fifth competing in Formula E but our first as one team. I’m really excited for the season to get underway, and I am confident that we have all we need to make the start of the Gen3 era a very successful one for us at Nissan.”
Nato and Fenestraz will have their first outings in the new Gen3 racing cars during the official pre-season test at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain, this week. Season 9 will start off in Mexico City on January 14, followed by another 16 races, with India, South Africa and Brazil being new venues.
