Jaguar’s announcement of their plans to become an all-electric brand by 2025 increases the likelihood that they will remain in Formula E by committing to “Gen3” regulations in time for the manufacturer’s registration deadline of March 31.
According to Motorsport, Bentley will also adopt a fully electric range by 2030 and it was known that they are evaluating a Formula E program that would place them alongside Porsche, a member of the Volkswagen Group, on the grid during the “Gen3” era from 2022-23.
Major US manufacturers like Ford and General Motors (GM) have also launched similar plans to consolidate around electric vehicles and a “zero-emission future.”
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Formula E CEO Jamie Reigle told Motorsport.com that these brands entering the championship will allow them to “show that change” and “meet their deadlines.”
“Jaguar have made a pretty material announcement in terms of their commitment to shift the brand to be fully electric by 2025. Does that guarantee that they’ll continue in Formula E? It doesn’t.
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“Does it mean that we believe the championship would be a great platform for them to showcase that shift and to meet that deadline? Absolutely.
“The one that really surprised me was General Motors. When you look at the types of cars they sell, it’s more trucks. For them to come out and say by 2035 they’re going to shift to effectively a fully electric fleet… these are big signals. When I see those announcements, these were almost unthinkable two years ago. I feel really good about where [Formula E] is as a consequence,” Reigle said.
GM will have exposure in the inaugural season of Extreme E, of which Formula E is a shareholder, through their partnership with the Chip Ganassi team.
It will be run by an Odyssey 21 E SUV with custom bodywork to look like the all-electric Hummer.
Written by I Jhonattan González
