BMW to join Formula E in 2018
BMW will enter electric Formula E race series next year with a newly-developed BMW drivetrain
BMW has announced that it will join the Formula E race series in time for the 2018/19 season, using a car with a new BMW-developed powertrain.
BMW's works entry will be run by the existing Andretti team, and the brand says that its involvement in the EV racing series will help influence its road cars in the future.
• Audi enters Formula E for 2017/2018 season
“Through our involvement in Formula E, we are addressing the development towards sustainable and emission-free mobility in the automobile industry and are also making a contribution to the brand’s progression to BMW iNEXT,” said Klaus Fröhlich, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Development.
"The borders between production and motor racing development are more blurred at BMW i Motorsport than in any other project. The result is a technology transfer on a whole new level. We are certainly confident that the BMW Group will benefit greatly from the experience gained in the field of electrotechnology during this project.”
BMW joins mainstream manufacturers Renault, DS and Jaguar in the electric series, as well as rival brand Audi, which will become a full works team at the beginning of the 2017/18 season.
BMW is already involved in the sport to a degree, as both safety car and medical car duties are performed by a BMW i8 and i3 at present. It has also assisted the Andretti Formula E team since early 2016, but has only now confirmed its intention to take part in a full racing capacity having hinted at doing so late last year.
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