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Nissan’s Formula E car is donning a new, Japan-inspired look for the electric street racing series to demonstrate the power and performance of the company’s EV technology.
The new race car livery was unveiled in Yokohama in October, ahead of season six of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship series. The red, black and white design is inspired by the Japanese kimono garment, a traditional symbol of longevity and good fortune. It will also be featured on the Nissan LEAF NISMO RC, the dual electric-motor performance vehicle based on the Nissan LEAF electric car.
Alfonso Albaisa, the automaker’s senior vice president for global design, said: “As we approached the beginning of our second season of Formula E competition, our design team proposed a new look, one that celebrates our Japanese heritage and vibrant technology DNA.
“We used our iconic Nissan racing red, black and white colors layered diagonally in a kimono pattern, which creates a dynamic and powerful impression.”
Nearly 40 of the brand’s in-house designers had submitted concepts for the new design.
Former Bahrain speedster Sebastien Buemi and fellow driver Oliver Rowland are back behind the wheel for Nissan e.dams. The team entered the championship to showcase its zero-emission vehicle technologies, communicate the company’s Nissan Intelligent Mobility vision, and learn lessons that will be used to develop better road cars for customers.
Highlights of season five for Nissan e.dams included achieving second in championship, six podium finishes (including the last five races), six pole positions (the most for any team), and 16 Super Pole qualifying appearances combined by Buemi and Rowland, making them the best qualifying team in the championship. The team ended the season with its first ever victory during the final race weekend in New York.
“Finishing second as a team last year was great,” said Buemi, who is the top all-time record-holder in Formula E with the most pole positions, fastest laps and wins. “This year, the objective is to fight for the championship.”
Nissan has developed an updated powertrain for season six, in line with new series regulations. It replaces the dual electric-motor system that delivered record-setting results in season five.
Michael Carcamo, the brand’s global motorsports director, said: “The second season is sometimes harder than the first. With a major change to a single-motor solution, we had plenty to do in the off-season. We’ll use everything we learned from season five to improve our package, with an even greater emphasis on battery and energy management.”
The ABB FIA Formula E Championship will return with a double-header 2019/20 season opener on Friday and Saturday as 24 cars and drivers go head-to-head in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.
