Following Porsche, Jaguar and Nissan have now also presented their new Formula E racing cars. The new Jaguar I-Type 6 for the 2023 season is expected to bring the British company big success after the runner-up title with Mitch Evans in the previous season. But the first thing that catches the eye is the Jaguar’s special livery.
Because when the electric racing series starts the new Gen3 era in Mexico on 14 January, the Jaguar I-Type 6 will no longer be in carbon grey with turquoise accents – but in black and white. In addition, the two race cars of Mitch Evans and his team-mate Sam Bird are each painted asymmetrically. Evans has the Jaguar lettering on a black background on the right-hand side of the car, Bird on the left.
Technically, the I-Type 6 has a second electric motor on the front axle for the first time. However, the front electric motor is a standard component for all manufacturers and may only be used for recuperation, but not for propulsion. Together with the electric motor on the rear axle, the I-TYPE 6 can recuperate up to 600 kW (250 kW front, 350 kW rear) and thus twice as much energy as the previous Gen2 I-Type 5. Thanks to the generators on both axles, the more compact Gen3 race car can dispense with rear-wheel brakes.
As is well known, maximum efficiency is not only important for the drive layout itself, but also for the individual components. Jaguar has confirmed TCS Racing Wolfspeed as its new official partner for semiconductors.
At the same time, Nissan has also unveiled the design of its new Gen3 race car called Nissan e-4ORCE 04 including a new livery – which means that with the Porsche 99X Electric Gen3, three Gen3 race cars have already been revealed. Instead of the combination of grey and red, Nissan now relies on a red base paint with white accents. Neither Nissan nor Jaguar are giving more details about the details of their powertrains – the rear drive unit, including the inverter, is developed by the manufacturers themselves.
As reported, Nissan will enter the coming Formula E season with a new driver duo. The current drivers Maximilian Günther and Sébastien Buemi will be replaced by Norman Nato and Sacha Fenestraz.
The driver duo at the new Nissan customer team McLaren has also been finalised in the meantime: In addition to ex-Audi driver René Rast, who had already been fixed as McLaren driver for a while, Briton Jake Hughes will sit in the team’s second race car. Hughes has so far raced in the Formula 2 combustion racing series, but has Formula E experience: he was a simulator driver for the Mercedes EQ team. Since McLaren not only took over the licence of the Stuttgart-based company after the Mercedes withdrawal, but also large parts of the staff (including team boss Ian James), the connection to Hughes was already close.
jaguarracing.com, nissannews.com, motorsport-magazin.com (McLaren)
Keyword: Jaguar & Nissan present Formula E race cars