Nissan kicks off Formula E campaign as first
Japanese manufacturer in Saudi Arabia debut

The Nissan e.dams team has kicked off its electric street racing challenge when the ABB FIA Formula E championship began its fifth season of competition this week.

Swiss former series’ champion Sebastien Buemi and his newly announced British teammate Oliver Rowland drove on the 2.495-kilometer, 21-turn street circuit in Ad Diriyah, near the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh marking Nissan’s debut race in Formula E.

This weekend’s race is the first of 13 to be held in a dozen major cities around the world. As the global leader in electric car sales and the first Japanese carmaker to enter Formula E, Nissan will use the championship series to showcase the performance side of Nissan Intelligent Mobility.

Nissan will compete against 10 other manufacturers/teams during season five (2018/2019), which marks major changes for Formula E. The fifth season will feature the all-new “Gen 2” Formula E carswith new chassis and batteries and spectacular new aerodynamics. The new cars have an increased range, enabling the championship series to eliminate the previous midrace car swap.

The new race format features 45-minute (plus one lap) races and an innovative “attack mode.” Drivers will be able to access an extra 25 kilowatts of power once they’ve passed through an activation zone. The zone will be clearly visible and marked out on the circuit for fans trackside and those watching on TV.

 “It’s taken years of planning and months of intense preparation, but we’re now ready to hit the track for our Formula E race debut,” said Michael Carcamo, Nissan’s global motorsports director.“We’ve drawn on our experience as a global leader in electric vehicles for the road to help develop our Formula E powertrain – and what we now learn on the track will go back the other way, benefiting Nissan’s electric-car customers.”

Roel de Vries, global head of marketing and brand, Nissan Motor Corporation, speaking at the circuit said, “As the global leader in EV, we are proud to be the first Japanese carmaker to join Formula E. We’re looking forward to putting our groundbreaking technology on display and more significantly, our Nissan Intelligent Mobility philosophy. In joining Formula E, we have a great opportunity to showcase what makes Nissan the world’s EV leader and we look forward to future successes as we carry out our Nissan Intelligent Mobility philosophy to move people to a better world.”

Kalyana Sivagnanam, president of Nissan Middle East & regional vice president of marketing and sales for Africa, the Middle East and India, commented, “Nissan has a long heritage of innovation in Saudi Arabia, so we are pleased our debut Formula E race is taking place in the Kingdom. Aligned with Saudi Vision 2030’s plans of economic reform and vision for the energy sector, Nissan is proud to be leading the way to the future of mobility in the Middle East.”

Nissan has used its years of experience developing and manufacturing the Nissan LEAF – the world’s best-selling electric car – to develop a new powertrain package for its Formula E car, including a new electric motor, inverter, gearbox and software. The brand-new electric race car capped a world tour on Dec. 2 with the first Formula E demonstration in Japan at NISMO Festival, Fuji International Speedway, following a Nov. 30 launch event in Tokyo.

Sebastien Buemi

“We’re confident of a strong performance for the Nissan e.dams team, but the expectation for round one is very difficult to judge.

“We don't know exactly where we stand, but as a driver, I always aim to win. Let's see what we look like after qualifying. The objective is definitely to fight for the best possible result.

“The best way for us to learn tracks is using our simulator. Typically, I'm going to spend two days before each event, Monday and Tuesday, and then usually I travel on Wednesday to the race. I'll have two full days to be up to speed with the new track.

“With the new simulators, I have good references before I even get to the track. I already know the speed in the corners and the braking points, all the energy management. Basically everything is done in the simulator, and it's very well correlated.”

Oliver Rowland

“I'm incredibly excited and proud to be part of the Nissan e.dams family. 

“I'm looking forward to the new challenges Formula E brings. I think the cars and drivers produce huge challenges for me, but I'm ready. I'm ready to go and put my head down and see what I can do. 

“I've watched a lot of the guys in Formula E do a lot of extraordinary things over the years, and it's pretty exciting to be up there with them.

“I've had a successful career in the ladder series, Formula Renault, World Series by Renault and Formula 2, always fighting for championships. Now Nissan e.dams have given me this great opportunity in Formula E. I'm ready for the challenge.”