The sun is out this weekend as Montreal hosts the Formula E racing circuit. The Montréal ePrix makes up the last two stages in the 2017 electric-car racing series, and Auto123.com decided to take a look at the bigger automotive manufacturers that will be present on the starting line for the event.
Without further ado…
Audi
The four-ringed brand, which has recently announced its departure from World Endurance Championship racing, is the sole German team in Formula E (under the official name ABT Schaeffer Audi Sport). Many will remember that Audi presented the world premiere of a new four-door coupe-style electric crossover at Auto Shanghai 2017. The Audi e-tron Sportback should be commercially available by 2019, roughly a year after the very first all-electric Audi e-tron vehicle. The maximum range for each of these models is expected to be around 500 km.
BMW
BMW is an official partner of Formula E, which in the company’s view reflects its vision of mobility, sustainable development and the pleasure of driving an electric vehicle. The BMW i8 serves as a safety car, the i3 as a medical-services car as well as a "limousine" for the race director, and the X5 iPerformance as a rescue vehicle.
BMW is also a parts supplier (for Andretti) and intends on being a full-fledged Formula E team beginning in the 2018-2019 season.
Faraday Future
The new company out of California runs one of two U.S.-based teams (Faraday Future Dragon Racing) in Formula E. It aims to commercially produce its first high-performance electric vehicle, called the FF 91, later in 2017.
Jaguar
The Panasonic Jaguar Racing team joined Formula E this year armed with big ambitions. Jaguar, as we know, will produce a fully electric SUV, called the I-PACE , beginning next year. Fans of high performance will be thrilled!
Renault
The Renault e.dams team took home top honours in the team standings during the first two seasons of the Formula E championship. The French manufacturer also supplies engines for the Techeetah team.
While Renault vehicles are not commercially available in Canada at present, interest remains strong among consumers in this country. To wit, the buzz created by the TREZOR concept , unveiled in Paris last fall!
One final Formula E-related note is the announcement by Mercedes-Benz that it will be leaving the DTM championship in Europe and joining the Formula E series for the 2019-2020 season. It‘s expected that Porsche will likewise be leaving endurance racing in favour of Formula E.
Here’s where you can get more information regarding the Montréal ePrix and the Formula E championship.