Jaguar is to compete in the third season of the Formula E all-electric race series, which begins on October 9 in Hong Kong. Developed in partnership with Panasonic, the I-TYPE 1 will serve as a rolling test bed for developing new advanced powertrain technologies. Drivers are Adam Carroll, Mitch Evans and Ho-Pin Tung.
Gerd Mäuser, chairman of Panasonic Jaguar Racing, said, “Today marks a new chapter in the history of Jaguar Racing. As the first premium car manufacturer in Formula E we are proud to be back in top-level motorsport. The future is changing and we’re part of that change. Formula E is the perfect platform to inspire the next generation.”
Nick Rogers, executive director for product engineering at Jaguar Land Rover, underlined the important role Formula E will play in developing next-generation electric vehicle technology and the importance of electric vehicles in JLR’s future product portfolio.
Rogers commented, “The championship will enable us to engineer and test our advanced technologies under extreme performance conditions. We will apply this vital knowledge as part of our real-world development. At Jaguar Land Rover we employ 9,000 engineers and the team will draw on these engineers to extract data and push the boundaries of electric technology in a race environment.”
The Panasonic Jaguar Racing team has successfully completed 21 days of testing, up to and including the last Formula E public test, which recently took place at Donington Park Circuit in the UK.
James Barclay, Panasonic Jaguar Racing team director, said, “Today is a proud moment for myself and the entire Panasonic Jaguar Racing team at our official launch. Everyone has worked very hard over the last nine months to prepare for our debut in the Championship. I am delighted to welcome Adam, Mitch and Ho-Pin, Panasonic, Lear and all of our new fans into the Jaguar family.
“We want to be successful on and off the track. We know that the challenge will be strong our competitors have a two-year head start. We will be keeping our expectations in check in our first season. Ultimately we’re here to win but we’re here to innovate too. I would like to thank Jean Todt and his team at the FIA and Alejandro Agag and his team at Formula E for their vision in building this innovative series and for their help and support over the last 12 months with Jaguar’s entry.”
September 14, 2016