BMW has now joined the list of official Formula E manufacturer's for seasons five, six, and seven of the championship. Along with the German marque, DS Automobiles, ABT Formel E, Mahindra, Renault, Jaguar Land Rover, NEXT EV, Penske Autosport, and Venturi's registrations have also been approved by the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile). The German carmaker had said the expansion of BMW i and BMW Motorsport's involvement in the first all-electric single-seater racing series is a part of its long-term global motorsport strategy for the BMW Group. In fact at the start of the current season, it formed a partnership with the team wherein it provides cooperation at engineering level and sharing resources.
MS Amlin Andretti Formula E Team
Jens Marquardt, BMW Motorsport Director, said, "Since its inaugural season, Formula E has enjoyed rapid development and is now regarded as a high-level racing series. BMW i has contributed actively as Official Vehicle Partner from the word go and has left its mark on the series. Other manufacturers have now followed suit. Everyone involved is delighted to be taking steps to get involved on the sporting and technological side of Formula E. Planning is underway to compete with a works team in season 5. This required our registration as a manufacturer. This was completed by the required deadline."
BMW i8 has been the 'Safety Car' in FIA Formula E since the first season
BMW has been associated with the FIA Formula E Championship as an official vehicle partner since the first season. The BMW i8 serves as the 'Safety Car', the i3 as the 'Medical Car' and 'Race Director Car' and the X5 xDrive40e as the 'Rescue Car' or 'Extrication Car'.
Motorsport.com quoted Jean Todt, FIA President, as saying, "The homologation of the powertrains that will be used as from season 5 is a very significant step because it means the cars will be able to run for twice as long while, at the very least, maintaining the same performance level. This highlights how motorsport can stimulate and accelerate development of new technologies which can then be applied to road cars and in this case, it has even more of a key role, given that at the moment, electricity is one of the more practical alternatives when it comes to finding new forms of more sustainable mobility in the future."
