Renault today confirmed it will exit Formula E at the end of Season 4, in July 2018. An inaugural partner in Formula E, Renault e.dams clinched its third consecutive FE Teams’ title in Montreal at the end of July 2017 and will soon begin Season 4.
“We had an incredible championship run during our first three years in Formula E and look forward to a competitive fourth season with the benefit of a very stable environment at Renault e.dams,” said Thierry Koskas, Groupe Renault EVP sales & marketing. “As a pioneer in EV, we have learned a tremendous amount about high-performance electric vehicles and energy management that directly benefits our EV customers. After Season 4 we will focus resources on our aggressive goals for Formula 1 and we look forward to continuing to gain benefits from motorsport racing across the Alliance with Nissan.”
As of mid-2017, Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi made up the world’s largest automotive alliance. The companies that form the Alliance function along unique lines, with the focus on collaboration and maximizing synergies to boost competitiveness while maintaining each brand’s individual identity. This involves converged functions between Renault and Nissan in engineering, manufacturing, logistics, purchasing and human resources. The Alliance’s goal is to accelerate collaboration between Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors with regard to common platforms, powertrains, and new electric, autonomous and connected vehicle-related technologies.
“Across the Alliance, our engineering teams will be able to share performance data that benefits all brands. Diversifying our racing strategy while still benefiting from the experience we gain from our motorsport programs, is one of the resource multipliers of being part of the Alliance,” added Koskas.
Given the competitiveness of the environment, Renault and Nissan will work together to ensure a smooth transition, leveraging the expertise and development already available.