Jaguar announces it will compete in Formula E in 2016

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has confirmed that it will race in the third season of the Formula E championship that begins next spring.

Announcing its intention to compete in the pure-electric race series, JLR said its participation would help it “further the development of future EV powertrains, including motor and battery technology”.

In a statement released late last night, JLR said its engineers will “work directly with Jaguar’s race team to push boundaries of electrification technology”.

It’s been reported that JLR’s decision to compete in the pure-electric single-seater race series coincides with a radically-styled electric-powered Jaguar SUV that’s expected to be launch on the eve of its first race at the Paris motor show.

The concept, thought to be a direct rival for the Tesla Model X SUV, will have a range of more than 500km and a price tag of around $120,000.

Jaguar’s race team, meanwhile, will collaborate with Williams Advanced Engineering that have close links with the Williams Formula 1 team. The pair recently collaborated on the C-X75 plug-in hybrid supercar.

Williams Advanced Engineering is already a battery supplier for Formula E and has expertise designing and engineering hybrid systems for Le Mans racers.

Originally, Formula E cars were required to use a common powertrain and chassis but, from September 2016, the legislation will be relaxed to allow other powertrain providers to enter the sport.

Battery capacity also increases from 28kWh to 32kWh that sees peak power of the races rise 25 per cent to 250kW. Weight, meanwhile, will fall from the current minimum 888kg (including driver) to 850kg - boosting performance further.

The last time the Jaguar went racing with single-seaters was with its factory-back Formula 1 entry that lasted until 2004 when then owner, Ford, pulled the plug after five unsuccessful years.

Jaguar’s decision to compete in Formula E means it will compete with fellow car-makers Renault and PSA/Peugeot-Citroen’s DS and Audi (indirectly through its collaboration with ABT).