BMW to join Formula E as official manufacturer

German car manufacturer BMW has announced that it will be joining Formula E as an official manufacturer for Season 5. To mark its presence in the competition, the company will be developing and supplying a new powertrain which will be used by the Andretti team in 2018-19 season. Until now, BMW has been the official vehicle partner for Formula E seasons since its inception. However, it was limited to supplying the BMW i8 as the safety car and BMW i3 as the medical and course cars.

Progressing to the next level, the Bavarian car manufacturer will be utilising their first-ever powertrain in Season 5. The company also believes that its involvement in the all-electric racing series will help them further develop the technology which might be used in the next-generation of electric cars. Speaking about the Formula E entry as a manufacturer, Klaus Fröhlich, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Development, “Through our involvement in Formula E, we are addressing the development towards sustainable and emission-free mobility in the automobile industry and are also making a contribution to the brand’s progression to BMW iNEXT.”

Klaus further added, “This project is thoroughly driven by technology. We are using Formula E as a development laboratory, operating under the unique conditions that prevail in motor racing – with very unique demands and opportunities. The borders between production and motor racing development are more blurred at BMW i Motorsport than in any other project. The result is a technology transfer on a whole new level. We are certainly confident that the BMW Group will benefit greatly from the experience gained in the field of electrotechnology during this project.”

BMW’s product development plans in Formula E space as a manufacturer will come to light over the next few months.