By alley - Oct 24, 2017, 9:45 PM ET

Nissan to join Formula E from 2018-19

Nissan will become the first Japanese automotive brand to compete in FIA Formula E racing starting in 2018.

Nissan will compete from season five, which is expected to begin in late 2018 as the all-electric championship introduces new chassis and battery specifications.

The company will work with its partner Renault to leverage already available resources and expertise, in keeping with the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi automotive partnership's focus on collaboration and maximizing synergies to boost competitiveness.

"As the ultimate expression of the thrill of instant acceleration and agile handling that's at the heart of Nissan zero-emission driving, Nissan is going to electrify the Formula E championship," said Daniele Schillaci, executive vice president of global marketing and sales, zero-emission vehicles and battery business, and chairman of Nissan's management committee for Japan, Asia and Oceania.

"Nissan will be the first Japanese brand to enter this growing championship, bringing our long history of motorsports success to the Formula E grid. It will give us a global platform for bringing our pioneering Nissan Intelligent Mobility strategy to a new generation of racing fans."

"Nissan's DNA is rich in innovation in electric mobility, not to mention a long history of success in motorsports," added Schillaci. "It makes sense that we bring these two core elements together by competing in Formula E."

Formula E founder and CEO Alejandro Agag lauded the move as "momentous."

"To have a name like Nissan coming on board is a momentous day for the series," Agag said.

"Not only is it great to welcome a new manufacturer to the Formula E family – it's great to see our first Japanese manufacturer entering the frame, showing truly how global the electric revolution is. Japan is a country at the forefront of new technologies, with one of the biggest followings of Formula E. The shift toward sustainable mobility is in motion, and it's unstoppable. I look forward to seeing the Nissan logo adorned on the new-look cars for season five."

The news comes on the heels of

Audi's entry

into the series for season four, with Daniel Abt becoming an Audi factory driver and partnering 2016/17 FIA Formula E champion Lucas di Grassi.

Season four begins in December and runs through July, with races to visit new venues including

Santiago, Chile

Zurich

- marking circuit racing's return to Switzerland for the first time in more than six decades - Sao Paolo and Rome. Other changes include a return for Berlin, with a race confirmed at Tempelhof Airport, while the New York event has been moved one week later to mid-July.

Last month Nissan, a leading mass-market zero-emission brand, unveiled the second-generation Nissan LEAF, the five-door all-electric vehicle packed with technology that embraces the early steps of advanced driver assistance.

Nissan has sold more than 280,000 LEAFs globally since its launch in 2010, making it the world's best-selling electric vehicle. LEAF customers have driven more than 3.5 billion zero-emission kilometers combined.