Formula E alters tech roadmap plans

The FIA will tender for single suppliers of chassis and battery for the fifth season of Formula E, moving away from the championship's plans for open competition.

The series' roadmap for its technical development was targeted to allow for chassis and battery competition in later seasons, but following Friday's FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting, it was confirmed those areas of the cars will remain single-make.

The FIA said the primary goal for Formula E's development was to get to a point where a full race distance can be completed without the need for drivers to change cars mid-race.

In its WMSC statement the FIA said: "In accordance with the FIA Formula E Championship Technical Roadmap – the objective of which is for each driver to be able to complete the current race distance with the use of only one car – the Formula E Committee and the Electric and New Energy Championships Commission will proceed with two calls for tender. These are:

1) To identify a single provider for batteries from the fifth season onwards

2) To identify a single chassis supplier for the fifth season onwards.

"The applicants will be presented for selection at the next World Motor Sport Council."

Formula E started its move towards open competition for its current 2015-'16 season, after the inaugural campaign was completed with every team using the same specification of car.

While manufacturers can not alter the chassis or battery at the moment, other areas of the all-electric powertrain have been opened-up for development already. Plans for battery competition had already been postponed until at least season five.

Originally on Autosport.com