NISMO plotting Formula E-powered supercar

Nissan has announced it is looking to leverage its participation in the Formula E World Championship by using its 600kW dual-motor powertrain to power a future high-performance electric car.

Set to help spearhead Nissan’s resurgence, the new supercar, developed alongside the carmaker’s NISMO division, will also benefit from state-of-the-art tech and aerodynamics.

Speaking to Autocar, Nissan Formula E’s boss, Tommaso Volpe, said work has already begun to ensure NISMO’s racing division transfers over successfully to its road cars.

Volpe confirms that it has already developed “some prototypes based on normal chassis that can help the Nismo division to enhance the performance of electric cars.”

He also hinted that its new all-electric performance created in co-operation with its motorsport arm would be very different to the Ariya NISMO SUV that has zero Formula E influence.

Once NISMO has created its working prototype featuring all its motorsport tech, Nissan would then plan to use it as a new base for future fast EVs, said Volpe.

Previous reports and quotes from Nissan’s boss Ivan Espinosa suggest that the Japanese firm wants to roll out as many as four or five halo models to top the line-up.

Until now, Volpe said NISMO’s motorsport arm has been transferring technology from road car to racer, explaining how the Leaf software controlled the last-generation Formula E race car’s powertrain, but the introduction of the new Gen4 cars will signal the change.

“The development of the Gen4 cars will be when potential transfers will come from the racing cars to future [road] products, because the level of performance and efficiency will be pushed even more to the limit,” said Volpe.

“Also, they will be all-wheel drive. With the Ariya we have strong expertise of all-wheel-drive electric powertrains and controlling the grip on four wheels independently. There is a huge possibility of transfer with our future products. 

“The regulations of Gen4 have been written in an open conversation with manufacturers, and one of the reasons all-wheel drive is there is because of a strong push by Nissan and some other manufacturers, because all-wheel drive is the trend for the core business in the future.”

Sadly, at no time during the interview did Volpe spill the beans on what’s almost certain to be one of those four- or five halo cars – the long-awaited successor to the R35 Nissan GT-R, which has still not been explicitly confirmed whether it will switch to EV power.

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