Nine manufacturers granted FE homologation through 2021

The FIA released the names of the nine manufacturers who have been granted the homologation for the fifth, sixth and seventh FIA Formula E seasons. The manufacturers are: ABT Formel E, BMW AG, DS Automobiles, Jaguar Land Rover, Mahindra Racing, NextEV NIO, Penske Autosport, Renault and Venturi Automobiles.

Season 5 will be the first in which each driver will use just a single car per race, rather than the current two. 

This round of homologations means that the powertrains will fall into line with the new cycle of homologation for the chassis and battery, which will remain standard up to the end of the 2020-21 season. Any new manufacturer wishing to homologate their powertrain will be able to do so for Season 6, for a two-year period and for the next one with an annual duration.

"The FIA Formula E Championship has been going for a little over three years now and already it has established itself as one of the most interesting and innovative race series, not just because of the actual format of the events but also and above all, because of its technical development," FIA President Jean Todt said. "The homologation of the powertrains that will be used as from Season 5 is a very significant step because it means the cars will be able to run for twice as long while, at the very least, maintaining the same performance level. This highlights how motorsport can stimulate and accelerate development of new technologies which can then be applied to road cars and in this case, it has even more of a key role, given that at the moment, electricity is one of the more practical alternatives when it comes to finding new forms of more sustainable mobility in the future."

"The mission of the FIA Formula E Championship is to act as a platform to advance the development of electric vehicle technology and alternative energy solutions – this hinges on the participation of automotive and component manufacturers," added Alejandro Agag, founder and CEO of Formula E. "When we launched the series in 2012, we had forecast to secure at least three manufacturers by Season 5. The news today has highlighted the number and quality of manufacturers joining the championship and tripling our initial expectations. This just goes to show the relevance of Formula E to the motor industry and as an attractive proposition to new audiences and commercial partners, such as the recent agreement with Allianz."

The 2018-19 season will also see the debut of the new-look Formula E car, whose shape has been inspired and defined by the FIA with the aim of having a futuristic and appealing design. It will be produced by Spark Racing Technology, who won the chassis tender. There will also be a new standard battery, produced by McLaren Applied Technologies.