LONDON: Nissan has announced the acquisition of the Le Mans-based e.dams race team, with the Japanese manufacturer taking full ownership of its involvement in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Nissan’s competition in Formula E supports its long-term commitment to electrification and sustainability laid out in Nissan’s Ambition 2030 plan. The Japanese company outlines the acquisition and taking full control of its Formula E project as the natural next step.
Storied history, strong future
Nissan entered Formula E back in 2018 in partnership with e.dams, with both companies racing together in the all-electric championship as the Nissan e.dams Formula E Team. In March 2021, the Japanese automaker announced its commitment to the Formula E Gen3 era, which runs from Season 9.
In partnership with Renault, e.dams took the first three Formula E Teams’ titles and helped Sebastien Buemi to the 2015/16 Drivers’ Championship, with a best of second spot overall since combining forces with Nissan.
The change in ownership and new management structure will take place with immediate effect. Tommaso Volpe, general manager of Nissan Formula E, will also become managing director at e.dams.
“I am delighted that Nissan is taking over e.dams and today we are thinking of Jean-Paul Driot who, together with Nissan, had the vision for the team and helped to develop our partnership,” said Volpe. “Since his passing in 2019, Olivier and Gregory Driot took over and made sure the legacy of their father’s success would continue. It has been a pleasure working together and I would like to thank them for their commitment and support.
“This is an important step in our Formula E project. As the pinnacle of all-electric racing, Formula E gives us an engaging global platform from which we can show customers that EVs are not only fun and thrilling, but also that Nissan continues to be at the cutting edge of EV technology. We were happy to enter the sport in 2018 in partnership with e.dams. We have had a strong and successful collaboration, and we have learnt a great deal from their long-term experience in the series
“We have a fantastic team in place, and we are looking forward to building on our success and experience together as a team, and to beginning this new chapter in our Formula E involvement.”
Ashwani Gupta, Nissan chief operating officer, added: “These are exciting times for all of us at Nissan, our fans and customers everywhere. We have been on the grid for over 85 years, and our desire to win continuously accelerates us forward. We learn as we race, and the relentless pace of technological progression that drives the Formula E championship will provide us with many opportunities to inform and develop even better cars for customers.
“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.”
Gregory and Olivier Driot 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.
“Since the passing of our father, it’s been an honour for us to partner with a global brand such as Nissan in Formula E and we are proud of what we have achieved together. We would like to thank all the e.dams staff for their hard work and commitment.”
Formula E’s chief executive officer Jamie Reigle sees the brand’s doubling down with the acquisition of e.dams as the perfect complement to and validation of Formula E’s vision heading into the Gen3 era.
“Over the last two years we have set out to create the conditions for Formula E to be an integral platform for manufacturers committed to an electric future,” said Reigle. “This required a concerted effort to ensure the championship is a leader in multiple areas.
“First is the sport itself; electric racing in the heart of some of the most iconic cities in the world – exciting, intensely competitive entertainment anchored in sporting integrity where the world’s biggest manufacturers pit themselves against one-another. Second, the technology platform to allow a leader like Nissan to demonstrate its development nous and ingenuity. Third, the stage of the most iconic cities in the world. And fourth, the purpose beyond the sport to showcase that electric racing can trigger positive action in the fight against climate change.
“Formula E is seeking manufacturers with a genuine commitment to accelerate the shift to electric mobility, with Nissan among the biggest proponents of this shift as pioneers and market leaders. We want manufacturers with racing DNA who see motorsport as a platform to push development cycles and drive innovation – Nissan, and NISMO, is just that.
“Nissan’s commitment is a powerful validation of our approach. Nissan has the scale and ambition to change the course of the industry. As a global manufacturer it can deploy huge development and marketing resources in all the key markets for Formula E.”
