Nissan Acquires e.dams Formula E Race Team

Nissan announced that it has acquired the e.dams Formula E race team on Tuesday, April 12. Nissan had first entered into a partnership with e.dams back in 2018 for the Formula E series with the acquisition now giving the Japanese carmaker full control of the race team.

“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”, said Ashwani Gupta, Nissan's chief operating officer.

The company also said in a statement that its participation in Formula E supported its commitment to electrification under Nissan's Ambition 2030 plan with the acquisition being a natural step for the brand.

Nissan says that it will continue to race in the current season and is committed to participating in Formula E till Season 12 (2025-26)

Nissan said that a new management structure would be implemented with immediate effect with Nissan Formula E general manager Tommaso Volpe taking over as managing director at e.dams.

e.dams has raced in Formula E since the sport's inception in 2014 with the team as an off-shoot of the DAMS Formula 2 team founded by Jean-Paul Driot in partnership with former F1 driver and 4-time World Champion Alain Prost. The e.dams team won the first three seasons in partnership with Renault before Nissan took over from the 2018-19 season (Season 5).

Commenting on the acquisition, Olivier and Grégory Driot, who took over e.dams following the passing of Jean-Paul in 2019 said, "We are very proud to hand over the e.dams team to such a committed and innovative company as Nissan. We've had several open discussions in recent months with Nissan and we decided that it was the right time for them to take the reins and continue the legacy of our family and secure the long-term future of the employees.”

Nissan says it will continue to race the e.dams team in the current season with the brand last year having committed to also participating through Season 9 (2022-23) to Season 12 (2025-26) the Gen3 era of the sport.

Speaking of season 8, we are currently 5 races into the season with the Mercedes-EQ Formula E team leading the team standings followed by Tag Heuer Porsche and DS Techeetah. The Nissan e.dams team is currently in eighth place as we head for the sixth race of the season in Monaco on April 30.