Latest news with #FormulaE
The Citizen
4 days ago
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Formula E investment drives Nissan's relentless EV development
What started with the humble Nissan Leaf has transformed into electric racing rockets. A little-known fact maybe, especially down here on the tip of Africa, is that Nissan recently wrapped up the Drivers' Championship and finished third on the podium in both the Teams' and Manufacturers' Championships in the 2024/25 ABB FIA Formula E Championship. Formula E represents the pinnacle of electric vehicle (EV) technology and thanks to Nissan's road-to-track and track-to-road knowledge exchange, Formula E provides the perfect environment for the Japanese manufacturer to develop its electric vehicle technology. Formula E is more than just racing to them. The company views the series as a high-speed laboratory for the future of mobility. With 90 years of automotive heritage, 85 years of motorsport legacy, and over a decade of electric vehicle expertise, Nissan uses their participation in Formula E to showcase their commitment towards an electrified future. ALSO READ: Nissan's incoming new Renault Duster twin spied for the first time Nissan Leaf ahead of its time But because Nissan no longer offer electric cars in South Africa, we don't realise how heavily invested they are in EV technology. And we are just as quick to forget that they were first to introduce an EV locally in the Nissan Leaf back in 2013. This was a time when EVs were seen as something from another planet. Their then short range and very little charging infrastructure meant you couldn't venture too far from home. The world has changed since then. Electric cars are far more mainstream. And the charging infrastructure and technology continues to improve exponentially. You can almost get to Durban on a single charge. And if you can't, there are fast chargers along the route to keep you topped up and mobile. Sadly, what has not changed, is that our government with their ridiculous import taxing structures on EVs, ensure they remain expensive and out of reach of most of the population. ALSO READ: Volkswagen's new entry-level EV teased ahead of 2027 debut This means that the all-new electric Nissan Leaf will not be making a return to the country anytime soon. Which is such a pity because while the original Leaf offered 80kW of power and 254Nm of torque, and a range that didn't see you getting 200km between charges, the new car offers substantially more. The new Nissan Leaf has been vastly improved. Picture: Supplied Leaf grows up In 2025 your Nissan Leaf with extended range battery delivers double the power at 160kW and substantially more torque at 355Nm. What will transform your thinking, is that the range claimed now comes in at a full 600km. The Nissan Formula E car on the other hand weighs in at just 782kg, and produces 350kW of power. A power-to-weight ratio that gets the car to 100km/h in a mere 1.86 seconds and achieve a top speed of 322km/h. To put this is some sort of perspective, a Formula E car outguns a Formula 1 car when it comes to in-gear, out-of-the-corner, acceleration. But by now you might be wondering what the link is from Formula E to the Nissan Leaf in particular. To mark the finale of the Formula E Championship held at London's ExCel circuit at the end of July, the team unveiled a teal blue version of its cherry blossom livery to celebrate the launch of the all-new, UK-built Nissan Leaf. The Citizen Motoring was there to witness both the highs and lows that motorsport can deliver and see the new Nissan Leaf in the flesh. Sad way to end season It was a tough weekend for the Nissan Formula E Team. Oliver Rowland had the Drivers' Championship already wrapped up, but him and team-mate Norman Nato needed big finishes to clinch the Teams' and Manufacturers' Championships for the Japanese manufacturer. It did not come together for either driver, with lady luck choosing to offer up carnage instead of clean laps required for victory. Nissan have held onto Norman Nato and Oliver Rowland for next season. Picture: Supplied Sitting in the stands, you could almost feel the energy leave the arena late on Sunday afternoon as Rowland's number 23 car connected the wall and retired out of the race. As much as there was disappointment around the place, it was still a brilliant season with the team achieving seven podiums and four victories. And as a result, Nissan have announced that their driver line-up for the 2025/26 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will remain unchanged, with both Oliver Rowland and Norman Nato continuing to race with the team.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
Behind Season 11 Formula E With Nissan
Formula E popularity is surging. Season 10 saw a 23% increase in fans, reaching circa 374 million, while Season 11 is expected to surpass 500 million, and for good reason. It's an intense and unpredictable sport; the cars are incredibly quick, and various elements, like Attack Mode, add to its strategy. 11 teams and 22 highly-skilled drivers battled through 17 races over 11 locations in the 2024/2025 Season 11 Formula E. But Nissan's Oliver Rolland secured the Formula E World Champion title after a tough fight in Berlin against TAG Heuer Porsche's Pascal Wehrlein. Behind The Nissan Formula E Race Car The latest GEN3 Evo cars, used to tackle Season 11, must regenerate as much power as possible to stay in the race, which is why they feature regenerative braking. This system combines 350kW of rear regeneration with 250kW of front regeneration, resulting in 600kW, meaning a Formula E car can recover up to 50% of its energy when racing. In perspective, Nissan claims that the energy recuperated through an entire race is enough to power a three-bedroom house for three days. The cars weigh around 862kg, which includes the driver and a 47kWh battery, and produce up to 350kW (470 bhp), meaning a whopping 545 bhp per tonne while in Attack Mode. This allows them to accelerate from 0-to-62 mph in 1.82 seconds when using E-4ORCE all-wheel drive, making it 30% faster than a current F1 car and 36% faster than the previous GEN3 car, before barrelling onto a 200 mph top speed. The default power output is 300kW. One Nissan representative said: 'When the team was launch testing before Season 11 started, the acceleration was actually hurting the drivers' necks because it was so aggressive.' While the cars boast all-wheel drive, it can only be used in three scenarios. Firstly, during the Duals qualifying, then at the beginning of the race up to 100kph, and finally, during Attack Mode. Attack Mode is a strategic element where the cars gain an additional 50kW of power during a race, but only if the drivers hit certain zones on the track, often found outside the racing line. Each driver must take Attack Mode twice during a race. When engaged, it sends more power to the front axle and LED strips on the car light up magenta when the car is in full 350kW Attack Mode. Likewise, Attack Mode must be used for eight minutes, but drivers can choose when to deploy it. For example, this can be four minutes early and four minutes late, or a short activation of two minutes followed by six minutes later in the race. Nissan's hop to Formula E started six seasons ago with its 'road-to-track' approach. Having built 500,000 Leafs, Nissan used its expertise to develop its Formula E powertrain. This said, Nissan has now flipped its road-to-track approach as it progresses its Formula E technology for future electric cars, known as its 'Test bed for innovation'. And because of the powertrain's development, the engineers on the Formula E team can now feed data back to the road car programme in Nissan's Japan headquarters. Behind The Nissan Formula E Team Nissan's Formula E team consists of two drivers, Norman Nato and Oliver Rowland, a reserve and simulator driver, Sérgio Sette Câmara, a rookie driver, Abbi Pulling, and team principal, Tommaso Volpe. When asked to describe how driving a Formula E car feels, Abbi Pulling replied: 'The acceleration is insane. It's a weird feeling, because you always expect the delay that a normal racing car would give, but there is none! The feeling of not having gears is odd; there's so much more to comprehend in this car, and you're essentially driving three different cars all in one, taking regen and such into consideration'. Tommaso Volpe began his automotive career as corporate marketing manager with Ferrari in 2008. He then joined Lotus in 2009 as head of marketing, overseeing not only the road cars but also Lotus's F1 sponsorship management. Volpe then joined Nissan in April 2020. 'Only six manufacturers exist in this sport, so sometimes other teams buy from the manufacturers. We have our own car, but McLaren also uses a Nissan car. McLaren and Nissan obviously compete for the Team and Manufacturer championships. This aside, if Nissan wins the Formula E Manufacturer championship, it means that Nissan makes the best Formula E car!" says Volpe. When asked how the drivers build physical and mental resilience towards Formula E racing, Volpe replied: 'The drivers have mostly already gone through career growth. They almost arrive with this skill, having come from carting. So we don't do much to teach the drivers, but helping them focus on the next race often helps. Regardless of the outcome, positive or negative, we always focus on the positive as it can negatively alter future results.' Nissan has confirmed that Rowland and Nato will return for the 2025/26 Formula E. Volpe added: 'Following a very successful season, we've decided to maintain our driver line-up for Season 12. We're keen to consolidate our operations as we look to further improve on the work carried out both on and off-track since we took full control of our operations in the sport. I am sure that the stability and consistency that we've built with both Oli and Norman will help us continue our remarkable progression and fight for all three championships again next season.'
Fast Company
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Fast Company
How Formula E made EV racing a global phenomenon
IMPACT COUNCIL It built a faster, more exciting sport—with 500 million people now watching. The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of top leaders and experts who pay dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership, and more. BY Listen to this Article More info 0:00 / 5:55 As U.S. climate policy was noisily dismantled in Washington over the spring and summer, another climate story unfolded—quieter, faster, and broadcast to millions. It unfolded in the streets of Monaco. São Paulo. Shanghai. In the form of all-electric race cars tearing through city centers—cheered on by fans living the transition to a low-carbon world, not waiting for it. Formula E: A global entertainment platform Launched just over a decade ago, Formula E now reaches half a billion fans—many of whom are new to motorsports. Not because it promised sustainability. But because it delivered a better product: short, high-drama races. Urban venues. A streaming-ready format. Cultural relevance in an EV -first world. It's a playbook worth studying for any company trying to bring climate innovation to the mainstream. This isn't about messaging. It's about strategy. From clunky to cutting edge When Roger Griffiths first saw a Formula E car in 2014, he wasn't impressed. A veteran of IndyCar, Le Mans, and Formula 1, he knew a lot about going fast. And this wasn't it. The battery was huge, heavy, and underpowered. The performance? Underwhelming. But Formula E wasn't starting from scratch. It was pulling from the top shelf of global motorsport. What struck him wasn't the hardware. It was the names showing up anyway: Michael Andretti, Alain Prost, and Frank Williams—legends who had built dynasties in IndyCar and Formula 1. Even Richard Branson had joined the grid. 'We can't afford (for) this to fail,' Griffiths recalled on the Supercool podcast. 'Too many people have too much invested.' Formula E didn't begin with speed or range. It started with credibility. And in the early days of climate tech, that buys you time to iterate toward something better. So they did. Designed for a new kind of fan Formula E didn't mimic Formula 1. It built a motorsport tuned to a new era. Races last just 45 minutes—tight enough for modern attention spans, long enough to create drama. The circuits run through the hearts of global cities, not remote tracks. Fans take public transit or Uber to races. The vibe? Less pilgrimage, more pop-up festival. The audience is younger, urban, and digitally native. Many aren't interested in owning a car at all. 'Young people today don't necessarily want to own cars,' said Griffiths. 'We're catering to a crowd that thinks differently about mobility. Formula E recognizes that.' Meanwhile, the technology caught up—fast. Jaguar used race-day insights to improve the range of its I-PACE SUV. BMW co-developed systems between i3 engineers and race teams. Formula E became a proving ground—not just for fans, but for the EV industry. Built to evolve Unlike legacy motorsports, Formula E gave itself permission to break with tradition. It experimented early and often: Fan Boost. Attack Mode. Interactive features lifted from gaming culture. Some flopped. Others stuck. But the league kept shipping, learning, and moving forward. 'The old me would've said, 'What a stupid idea,'' Griffiths said of Attack Mode, which gives drivers a temporary power boost if they hit a marked zone on the track. 'The new me said, 'I'm not sure—but I'll give it a go.'' Formula E doesn't wait for perfect. It tests ideas in public—on race day, with millions watching. Either way, the race goes on. The sport gets better. That mindset isn't just tolerated, it's structural. Formula E's governance enables change. Its culture rewards it. 5 lessons for climate innovators Innovators can learn these five lessons from Formula E. 1. Turn constraints into strengths. Early EVs couldn't finish a full race. Formula E shortened them to 45 minutes, creating tighter, more intense competition perfectly tuned for social media highlight reels and streaming. 2. Design for urban lifestyles. Electric cars are quiet enough to race in city centers. Fans don't need to drive. They grab an Uber and plug into the experience as part of modern life. 3. Iterate in public. Formula E doesn't hide experiments. It ships them in real time, where fans become part of the process. Innovation is part of the show. 4. Let climate be the platform, not the pitch. Sustainability underpins the whole thing. Sponsors don't need convincing. Fans don't feel preached to. That's what makes it scale. 5. Design for what's emerging. Formula E didn't retrofit old formats for electric race cars. It aligned with a modern, urban culture: streaming-first viewing and shared mobility. These behaviors define where we're heading. A better future, built for speed Formula E didn't scale by talking about emissions. It scaled by delivering an incredible fan experience. It understood how younger audiences live, move, and engage—and built a sport around that. It made the low-carbon future feel inevitable, not through fear, but through energy and excitement. And it proved something essential: Climate innovation doesn't have to trade performance for principle. It doesn't have to trade anything at all. Josh Dorfman is CEO and host of Supercool.
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Miami Herald
Nissan's Next Electric Halo Could Be Born On A Formula E Racetrack
Nissan may be best known for the Leaf and the GT-R, but its next halo car could emerge from somewhere much more electric - and much more unexpected. Tommaso Volpe, who heads Nissan's Formula E program, confirmed to Autocar that the brand is actively exploring ways to bring its motorsport tech to the concept teasers. No vague promises. Just prototypes - already running - that blend road-legal chassis with Formula E-derived powertrains. That means high-efficiency electric motors, race-honed software, and hardware developed under the brutal conditions of EV racing. The goal? A new electric flagship that puts Nissan back in the performance spotlight. The proposed project wouldn't be just a track toy with license plates - it's being built from the ground up with the road in mind. While Nissan has already experimented with performance EVs like the Ariya Nismo, this would be something far more focused. Lightweight, high-voltage, and razor-sharp - a proper rival to the likes of Taycan, Ioniq 5 N, and maybe even whatever Tesla's working on vision ties directly into the company's broader push to reposition itself as an innovator again. The brand has struggled in recent years, with a string of forgettable models and cost-cutting measures. As we've explored, Nissan's future may well lie in its past - revisiting its bold, abandoned ideas to re-ignite public interest. Formula E is more than a billboard - it's Nissan's test lab for the electrification arms race. And it's starting to deliver results. Just last month, the company won its first-ever Formula E Drivers' Championship with Oliver Rowland, a breakthrough moment that's sparked momentum behind the scenes. Pair that with Nissan's confirmed involvement in the series through 2030, and it's clear this isn't just about PR. Related: Nissan Honors New Leaf With Special Formula E Livery in London This potential halo car wouldn't just carry the look of a racecar - it would inherit the actual tech. Powertrain software, battery management, energy regeneration, and efficiency systems tuned at the absolute bleeding edge. That's a lot more than a few Nismo badges slapped on an SUV. The timing couldn't be more critical. Nissan posted a $782 million Q1 loss as part of its wider restructuring plan, facing stiff tariffs on Japanese imports and shuttering factories to cut costs. Meanwhile, sales of models like the manual Versa - America's cheapest new car - have now ended entirely due to profitability needs a comeback story. Not just another crossover, not another business-case commuter car. It needs a statement. A hero car. A headline. This Formula E-derived EV halo might just be the spark they need. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Auto Blog
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Nissan's Next Electric Halo Could Be Born On A Formula E Racetrack
You have one day to act on the auction, and it's going for less than half what a new M5 Touring would cost. View post: This Might Be Your Only Chance To Own A Manual V10 BMW M5 Wagon On The Cheap This 2007 Porsche 356 Speedster Replica is exactly what a good reproduction should be, smart in the details, and actually usable. Nissan may be best known for the Leaf and the GT-R, but its next halo car could emerge from somewhere much more electric — and much more unexpected. Tommaso Volpe, who heads Nissan's Formula E program, confirmed to Autocar that the brand is actively exploring ways to bring its motorsport tech to the street. No concept teasers. No vague promises. Just prototypes — already running — that blend road-legal chassis with Formula E-derived powertrains. That means high-efficiency electric motors, race-honed software, and hardware developed under the brutal conditions of EV racing. The goal? A new electric flagship that puts Nissan back in the performance spotlight. Tech From The Track The proposed project wouldn't be just a track toy with license plates — it's being built from the ground up with the road in mind. While Nissan has already experimented with performance EVs like the Ariya Nismo, this would be something far more focused. Lightweight, high-voltage, and razor-sharp — a proper rival to the likes of Taycan, Ioniq 5 N, and maybe even whatever Tesla's working on next. This vision ties directly into the company's broader push to reposition itself as an innovator again. The brand has struggled in recent years, with a string of forgettable models and cost-cutting measures. As we've explored, Nissan's future may well lie in its past — revisiting its bold, abandoned ideas to re-ignite public interest. Why Formula E? Formula E is more than a billboard — it's Nissan's test lab for the electrification arms race. And it's starting to deliver results. Just last month, the company won its first-ever Formula E Drivers' Championship with Oliver Rowland, a breakthrough moment that's sparked momentum behind the scenes. Pair that with Nissan's confirmed involvement in the series through 2030, and it's clear this isn't just about PR. View post: Nissan Honors New Leaf With Special Formula E Livery in London News Nissan Honors New Leaf With Special Formula E Livery in London Nissan's Formula E team is going teal in London to mark the arrival of the new Leaf — and it's not just for show, with both team and manufacturer titles still up for grabs. Max Taylor This potential halo car wouldn't just carry the look of a racecar — it would inherit the actual tech. Powertrain software, battery management, energy regeneration, and efficiency systems tuned at the absolute bleeding edge. That's a lot more than a few Nismo badges slapped on an SUV. Source: Akio Kon/Bloomberg via Getty Images A Brand In Need Of Spark The timing couldn't be more critical. Nissan posted a $782 million Q1 loss as part of its wider restructuring plan, facing stiff tariffs on Japanese imports and shuttering factories to cut costs. Meanwhile, sales of models like the manual Versa — America's cheapest new car — have now ended entirely due to profitability challenges. Nissan needs a comeback story. Not just another crossover, not another business-case commuter car. It needs a statement. A hero car. A headline. This Formula E-derived EV halo might just be the spark they need. About the Author Max Taylor View Profile
