BMW will go all-in on Formula E, the electic car-racing series, beginning in 2018

By Stephen Edelstein March 22, 2017

Image used with permission by copyright holder

BMW is joining the Formula E electric car race series as a full-time participant. The German automaker was among nine “constructors” approved to participate by the FIA, Formula E’s governing body, beginning with the series’ fifth season, which runs from 2018 to 2019. BMW already has a technical partnership with the Andretti team, but it now appears to be taking Formula E more seriously.

Formula E is currently in its third season, and organizers are working to secure long-term participation by teams and suppliers. The latest batch of constructors is homologated for three seasons, meaning those teams will be able to participate in Formula E from 2018 to 2021.

Recommended Videos

Besides BMW, the list of constructors includes current Formula E participants like Jaguar Land Rover, Renault, Citroën’s DS Automobiles sub-brand, and Indian automaker Mahindra. Also returning are NextEV Nio, Venturi Automobiles, and ABT, which is partnering with Audi. Penske Autosport will also be a newcomer to the series for 2018. Interestingly, Faraday Future, which currently partners with Dragon Racing, is not on the list. Neither is Mercedes-Benz, which said last year that it had taken an option to join Formula E in 2018.

While the teams may be called constructors, they will not actually build their own cars. Formula E will continue to mandate uniform car and battery designs. Spark Technologies will continue to supply the cars, while McLaren Applied Technologies will supply the battery packs. Teams do get to design their own powertrains.

Spark will launch a new Formula E car design for 2018-19, with a more stylish look and improved performance in an area most electric car drivers can relate to: range. Right now, Formula E cars can’t go the entire race distance on a single charge, so drivers switch cars halfway. Organizers hope a new battery pack will eliminate this Pony Express-style switch, and allow drivers to finish the race in the car they started in.

BMW hinted that it might step up its Formula E involvement last year. In addition to working with the Andretti team, the automaker supplies pace cars and support vehicles for the series. Formula E is part of a resurgence in BMW racing activity, which also includes a planned return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2018.

Topics

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Cars

Scout Traveler and Scout Terra forge a new path for EVs

Scout Traveler and Scout Terra.

Electric vehicles are inseparable from newness, whether it’s new tech, new designs, or new companies like Rivian, Lucid, and Tesla. But the Volkswagen Group’s new EV-only brand also relies heavily on the past.

Unveiled Thursday, the Scout Traveler electric SUV and Scout Terra electric pickup truck are modern interpretations of the classic International Harvester Scout. Manufactured from 1961 to 1980, the original Scout helped popularize the idea of the rugged, off-road-capable utility vehicle, setting the stage for modern SUVs.

Cars

Robotaxi aside, a $25,000 EV would be pointless, Tesla CEO says

Blue Tesla Model 3 Highland on the road

Enthusiasts expecting to one day put their hands on the steering wheel of a $25,000 Tesla EV may feel like they’ve been taken for a ride.
CEO Elon Musk has just put a serious damper on those expectations, saying that outside of the driverless Robotaxi recently unveiled by Tesla, a regular $25,000 model would be “pointless” and “silly.”
During a conference call with investors, Musk was asked to clarify whether such a model was in the works.
"Basically, having a regular $25K model is pointless,” Musk said. “It would be silly. It would be completely at odds with what we believe." Tesla, Musk continued, has “been very clear that the future is autonomous.”
On October 10, Tesla unveiled its much-awaited robotaxi, called the Cybercab, an autonomous-driving EV with no steering wheel or pedals. The company also unveiled the Robovan, a much larger autonomous vehicle expected to carry people or goods.
The automaker said the Cybercab is expected to be produced in 2026 and cost $30,000. Musk, meanwhile, said that it would be a $25,000 car without specifying if that price tag included federal tax credits.
Tesla’s ambiguity about an affordable entry-level model has been going on for years. In 2020, Musk signaled that a $25,000 Tesla would arrive within three years. It was later reported that Tesla had ditched the idea, instead favoring the development of a robotaxi.
Language within Tesla’s latest financial report still hints that new affordable Tesla models are on the way. But Musk’s latest comments are putting a floor on just how affordable these would be. So far, Tesla’s Model 3 Rear-Wheel-Drive remains the company’s cheapest model, with a base price of $38,990.
Some rival EV makers, meanwhile, are entering the affordable space more aggressively in the U.S.
General Motors has already put out its Chevy Equinox EV at a price of $27,500, including federal tax credits. Volkswagen America says it plans to release an under-$35,000 EV in the U.S. by 2027.

Cars

Stellantis’ 2027 Dodge Charger Daytona might feature solid-state battery tech

Front three quarter view of the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona sedan.

The battle to use cheaper, more efficient, and safer EV batteries is heating up among automakers. At the heart of this battle, the development of solid-state battery technology, an alternative to highly flammable and costly lithium batteries, is garnering more and more attention.For proof, Stellantis, the world’s fourth-largest automaker, is betting on the technology for its next generation of electric vehicles. The Netherlands-based company announced that it will launch a demonstration fleet of Dodge Charger Daytona EVs that will feature solid-state battery tech made by U.S. startup Factorial.The demo fleet, expected to launch by 2026, will provide a real-world assessment of Factorial’s technology. Factorial has been partnering with Stellantis since 2021 and is also partnering with the likes of Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai.Besides Dodge, the technology would eventually be deployed on the Stellantis STLA Large multi-energy platform, which includes brands such as Jeep, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati.Stellantis said that the integration of solid-state battery technology will yield “improved performance, longer driving ranges, and faster charging times in the coming years.”Factorial, meanwhile, says its technology provides higher energy density, reduced weight, improved performance, and the potential for further reduction in total vehicle cost over time. Stellantis, Daimler, and Hyundai aren’t the only ones to bet on solid-state battery tech. Toyota, the largest automaker in the world, has heavily invested in the technology. It also created a coalition with Nissan and Panasonic to boost its production in Japan. So far, making solid-state batteries has remained an expensive endeavor. But steps such as the Stellantis demo fleet and production at scale by the likes of Factorial are expected to improve manufacturing processes and costs over time.Other automakers, meanwhile, are working on ways to improve lithium batteries. Volkswagen, for one, is developing its own unified battery cell in several European plants as well as one plant in Ontario, Canada.