Porsche's future Formula E plans take shape

Porsche's future plans for an entry into Formula E are starting to take conceptual shape, the marque announced Saturday.

The Porsche LMP Team will spend 2018 readying for entry into the all-electric formula car series' sixth season toward the end of 2019. Until then, the team will design, develop and test a complete powertrain for the open-wheel, single-seater.

The first steps were undertaken in 2017, with implementation of the concept set to begin in 2018. The first test drives with the finished Porsche Formula E racecar are scheduled for early 2019.

Season five of Formula E will take on a dramatic new look, starting with new cars and doing away with its requirement for two cars per driver and mid-race car changes in favor of a car capable of completing a full race distance – a move the series says is a "clear testament of the advancement in battery technology." The number of teams is expected to rise to 12.

Porsche announced its Formula E plans in July, following Mercedes' announcement that it would pull out of the DTM in favor of Formula E. Fellow German marques BMW and Audi are already committed.