Formula E Hyderabad e-Prix: Nissan, Mahindra, Jaguar TCS All Set For the D-Day

Formula E Hyderabad e-Prix: For the first time, India is set to host a Formula E racing event. It will be held in Hyderabad and will feature 11 teams from around the world, racing electric vehicles. According to reports, the city will continue to host the race for the next four years. Formula E is a single-seater electric car racing series organised by the ABB FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile). The FIA has collaborated with the Telangana government to host the racing event on February 11, 2023. The racetrack is near Hussain Sagar in Hyderabad, Telangana, and the venue can reportedly accommodate 20,000 spectators. So, let's have a look at how some of the participating teams are preparing for the much-anticipated Greenko Hyderabad e-Prix.

Nissan Formula E Team

Nissan's participation in Formula E aims to highlight the brand's commitment to electrification and sustainable mobility, according to the company. Nissan claims that it believes in India's future of electric mobility and shares the government's vision for the promotion of electric vehicles. The firm is collaborating with stakeholders through Ambition 2030 to make electrification a reality in India. The ninth season of Formula E will be crucial in broadening Nissan's track-to-road transfer and making electrified mobility more affordable and sustainable in the market.

Nissan's involvement in Formula E, according to Frank Torres, President of Nissan Motors India, is about electrifying the track and bringing the excitement of electrification to the fore. According to him, the Nissan e-4orce 04 is their most effective racing vehicle to date and best showcases Nissan's EV powertrain technology and electrification know-how.

Nissan is competing for the first time as a single team this season. The brand's race car, the e-4orce 04, receives a striking new livery with a cherry blossom pattern inspired by its Japanese DNA. Sacha Fenestraz and Norman Nato, drivers for the Nissan Formula E team, are aiming to outperform their previous round results and pursue a double-points finish in the upcoming race.

Also Read: Formula E Cars Explained: Generations, Top Speed, Battery and More

Mahindra Racing Formula E Team

As mentioned earlier, there are a total of 11 teams competing in the ninth season of the Formula E race, the Greenko Hyderabad E-Prix, which will take place this Saturday, February 11. Mahindra Racing, India's only racing team competing in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, is one of the world's first all-electric street racing series' founding teams.

Mahindra Racing unveiled the Gen3 Formula E race car to the public for the first time after eight years of competing in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship around the globe. It became the only team to be certified as having a Net Zero Carbon footprint and the first Formula E team to receive the FIA Environmental Accreditation Three-Star rating in February 2021.

Lucas Di Grassi, who won the Macau Grand Prix in 2005 and finished on the podium three times overall at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, is one of the seasoned and accomplished drivers on the Mahindra Racing team. The team also includes Oliver Rowland, a seasoned and well-respected single-seater racing champion and a Formula E race winner. For Season 8 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the 29-year-old British driver joined Mahindra Racing. Moreover, Jehan Daruvala, a young Indian racer who was chosen as one of three winners of the Force India F1 team's ‘One in a Billion hunt’ in 2011, has also recently joined the team as the reserve driver.

Commenting on the occasion, Dr Anish Shah, Managing Director and CEO, Mahindra Group, said, ‘For us at Mahindra, this is a momentous occasion as we get to race in front of a home crowd for the very first time. Mahindra Racing signifies our commitment to continue developing cutting-edge EV technologies and improving the next generation of consumer electric vehicles in the country. It is an important marker in our sustainability charter, and we pledge to greater ROCE (Return on Climate and Environment), as we direct our efforts in tandem with Mahindra Group’s commitment and quest to achieve group-wide carbon neutrality by 2040.’

Further, Asha Kharga, Chairperson, Mahindra Racing, remarked, ‘As one of the founding teams of Formula E and after racing across the world, this is a proud moment for Mahindra Racing as we come home to India for the first time. This race will help build Formula E as one of the premier sports in the country. More importantly, it outlines the kind of possibilities in race technology that can potentially inspire our road cars. I would like to thank all our partners and associates who help us compete in this electrifying sport. We have had a great start to this season with a podium in Mexico, and we are very excited about the upcoming race on February 11.’

Also Read: Formula E: Format, Rules and Regulations Explained

Jaguar TCS Racing Formula E Team

For the Jaguar TCS Racing team, who came to India to compete in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship's Hyderabad E Prix at the Hussain Sagar, it will be somewhat of a homecoming. TCS joined the British racing team Jaguar Racing as the Formula E World Championship's title and technology partner in 2021. The Jaguar I-Type 6 electric race car was displayed at Adibatla on Wednesday by the team principal of the Jaguar TCS team, James Barclay, and driver Mitch Evans.

Barclay expressed his team's enthusiasm for the event: ‘It's like being with the family, and we want to do well before our fans. We took points from every round and made the podium in Saudi Arabia. With a lot of twists and turns, the street circuit is exciting, and we are looking forward to the race here.’

Another driver for Jaguar TCS is Sam Bird, who came in third in Saudi Arabia and finished on the podium. Evans commented on the upcoming race, ‘We cannot view the track until Friday, so we tried to gain knowledge about the track on the simulator. The track looks great on the simulator.’

Other teams participating in the event include Avalanche Andretti Formula E team, TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E team, NEOM McLaren Formula E team, Envision Racing, DS Penske, Maserati MSG Racing, NIO 333 Racing, and ABT CUPRA Formula E team.