Porsche, BMW, Mercedes Confirmed to Join Audi Sport in Formula E

LONDON, UK – The full list of manufacturers that will homologate powertrains from season six has today been revealed by the FIA – with a total of 11 manufacturers set to compete in the 2019/20 ABB FIA Formula E Championship.

Both Mercedes-Benz and Porsche join the already impressive list of automotive brands and renowned names in the world of motorsport committed to the electric street racing series. The two German giants have a long history in racing and their decision to enter Formula E is further evidence of the unstoppable movement towards electrification on a global scale.

Manufacturers confirmed for season six are:

The two additions for season six will have a two-year homologation period, until the next cycle begins for the 2021/22 ABB FIA Formula E Championship.

With the competition closer than ever and a number of new venues in Rome and Zurich coming up, the combination of fully-electric racing and city-centre street circuits has proven to be highly attractive to both competitors and fans.

Season five sees the introduction of the next generation Formula E car, which marks a crucial step for the ABB FIA Formula E Championship – eliminating the need for a mid-race car swap.

FIA President Jean Todt, said: “The future landscape of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship is growing more and more, and today as we confirm two additional manufacturers for the sixth season we have more evidence of the success of this concept. Mercedes-Benz and Porsche are both brands with long and decorated histories in motorsport, and the level of all of the 11 manufacturers that will take to the track from 2019/20 is very high. Formula E is going from strength to strength, and the commitment of manufacturers to sustainable racing technology is very encouraging.”

Alejandro Agag, Founder & CEO of Formula E, said: “I’m delighted to see both Mercedes-Benz and Porsche alongside some of the existing names on the official list of homologated manufacturers for season six. We continue to exceed all of the initial expectations set out when we started this journey just four years ago. If you had said to me then that we would be in double figures in terms of recognisable names in the world of motorsport, biggest road car manufacturers and automotive brands – I would have said you were crazy. But this is the reality now. Combine this with the ever-growing list of partners joining the electric racing revolution and it’s clear that the ABB FIA Formula E Championship is a very exciting place to be in motorsport.”

Photo caption – The rear bodywork of the FIA Formula E Gen2 car – for the next generation of fully-electric motorsport in season five and beyond.

The ABB FIA Formula E Championship is the electric street racing series and the world’s first fully-electric international single-seater category in motorsport. Formula E brings electrifying wheel-to-wheel action to some of the world’s leading cities, racing against the backdrop of iconic skylines such as New York, Hong Kong, Paris and Rome.

The inaugural season of Formula E sparked into life in September 2014 around the grounds of the Olympic Park in Beijing. The fourth edition of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship will see 10 teams and 20 drivers compete in 10 cities spanning five continents in the fight to be crowned champion. Hong Kong hosted the season-opener over the course of two days on December 2 & 3, with the championship coming to a close in New York in July.

Formula E is more than just a race to be the best – it’s a competitive platform to test and develop road relevant technologies, helping refine the design and functionality of electric vehicle components and speeding-up the transition and uptake of clean transportation on a global scale.

For this season, more manufacturers have joined the electric revolution with reigning champion Lucas di Grassi looking to defend his title for the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler team. More big-name manufacturers have also committed to race in Formula E – including BMW and Nissan in tandem with the new-look car and battery in season five, along with Mercedes-Benz and Porsche who also plan to join the following year.

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ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally. Continuing a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalisation with two clear value propositions – bringing electricity from any power plant to any plug and automating industries from natural resources to finished products. As title partner of Formula E, the fully-electric international FIA motorsport class, ABB is pushing the boundaries of e-mobility to contribute to a sustainable future. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 135,000 employees. www.abb.com