Nissan will supply Andretti Formula E with powertrains from Season 13 as part of a new multi-year agreement covering the GEN4 era of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
The partnership will place four Nissan-powered cars on the grid and bring together two of Formula E’s longest-standing competitors. Nissan will continue operating its factory team while Andretti joins the Japanese manufacturer as a customer operation.
Both organisations will also collaborate on technical development throughout the GEN4 regulations. Nissan announced the agreement in Tokyo ahead of the championship’s first night race in the Japanese capital and its final home event of the GEN3 era.
Nissan strengthens long-term Formula E commitment
Importantly, Nissan views Formula E as an important part of its global electrification strategy and intends to use the Andretti agreement to strengthen its position in the championship.
The manufacturer will gain data and feedback from four cars rather than two. Consequently, its engineers will receive more information across race weekends as they develop the GEN4 powertrain and respond to the championship’s increasingly competitive demands.
Nissan Motor Corporation chief performance officer Guillaume Cartier believes the collaboration will support the company’s sporting and wider business objectives.
“Formula E continues to play an important role within Nissan’s global electrification strategy. Our collaboration with Andretti Formula E and TWG Motorsports supports our goals in the sport and strengthens our commitment to the championship. We look forward to leveraging each other’s expertise to achieve success on and off the track, demonstrating our leadership in our respective industries and generating excitement to audiences around the world.”
The agreement extends Nissan’s investment beyond its own factory entry. Moreover, the customer programme will allow the manufacturer to compare performance across two teams with different engineering approaches and operational structures.
Andretti selects Nissan for Formula E’s next era
Andretti has competed in Formula E since the championship’s inaugural season and has regularly challenged near the front of the field.
The team achieved its greatest success when Jake Dennis secured the 2023 FIA Formula E Drivers’ World Championship. Andretti will now aim to fight for further race victories and titles with Nissan power during the GEN4 era.
Andretti Global president Jill Gregory described the agreement as an important step in the organisation’s wider motorsport strategy.
“Formula E remains an important part of our global motorsports strategy, and partnering with Nissan for the GEN4 era is a significant step for Andretti Formula E. Nissan has established itself as one of the Championship’s leading competitors, and we believe this partnership provides a strong foundation to compete for race wins and championships.”
Andretti’s move will give the team access to a powertrain developed by a manufacturer with extensive experience in electric road cars and Formula E competition.
Meanwhile, Nissan will gain a customer team with established championship-winning experience and a long history across international motorsport.
Four-car programme creates development opportunities
Nissan and Andretti plan to work closely throughout the GEN4 era rather than limit their relationship to the supply of powertrains.
Both teams will contribute technical knowledge, engineering data and sporting experience. Running four cars will also give Nissan additional opportunities to study tyre usage, energy management, reliability and performance across different circuit types.
Nissan Formula E Team managing director and team principal Tommaso Volpe believes Andretti’s experience will strengthen the manufacturer’s development programme.
“We’re delighted to welcome Andretti Formula E as our customer team for the GEN4 era. Formula E is an increasingly competitive championship, and having a strong partner is an important part of maximizing both performance and technical development. Andretti is one of the most successful names in motorsport, including Formula E, where it has established itself as one of the leading teams in the sport, consistently competing at the front and securing a Drivers’ World Championship. We look forward to working closely together and building a strong partnership.”
The additional entries should provide Nissan with a broader technical picture throughout each race weekend. However, the two teams will remain competitors and pursue their own championship ambitions on track.
That balance will require both organisations to share relevant development information while maintaining the independence of their race operations.
Rowland and Dennis bring championship-winning experience
The partnership will also bring together the experience of two Formula E Drivers’ World Champions.
Reigning champion Oliver Rowland leads Nissan’s factory effort, while Dennis continues to represent Andretti. Both drivers can provide detailed technical feedback as Nissan develops and refines its GEN4 package.
Their experience should prove particularly valuable during testing and the early stages of the new regulations. Both drivers understand the demands of Formula E’s energy management, changing track conditions and strategic racing.
Furthermore, each has already demonstrated the ability to deliver a championship campaign across the category’s specialised street circuits.
Andretti team principal Roger Griffiths believes Nissan’s motorsport history and electric-vehicle expertise align closely with his team’s objectives.
“With a motorsports legacy lasting over 80 years and multiple wins and championships across a diverse range of categories including the current Formula E World Drivers’ Championship, Nissan has more than proven its pedigree at the highest echelons of the sport. As an early pioneer of electric vehicles, Nissan has developed vast knowledge in this category and through their time in Formula E have shown how immensely competitive they can be. It’s these characteristics that align so well with the approach of Andretti Formula E and why we are extremely proud to be aligned with the Japanese manufacturer entering the highly anticipated GEN4 era in Formula E.”
Rowland and Dennis will therefore play central roles as the two organisations establish their working relationship and prepare for Formula E’s next technical cycle.
Tokyo announcement precedes Nissan’s final GEN3 home race
Nissan confirmed the agreement during an important week for its factory team in Tokyo.
The Japanese capital will host its first night E-Prix as Nissan contests its final home race weekend under the GEN3 regulations. To mark the occasion, the manufacturer will run a one-off NISMO-inspired livery that celebrates its motorsport heritage.
The announcement also allows Nissan to connect its current home event with its longer-term Formula E plans.
While the team focuses on completing the GEN3 era strongly, its engineers will continue preparing for the technical and operational demands of GEN4.
Nissan and Andretti prepare for multi-year Formula E GEN4 collaboration
The agreement gives Nissan a larger presence on the Formula E grid from Season 13 and provides Andretti with a new technical foundation for the GEN4 era.
Nissan will benefit from increased data and feedback, while Andretti will gain access to a manufacturer-backed powertrain programme. In addition, Rowland and Dennis will bring recent championship-winning experience to the development process.
Both organisations must now establish their technical working structure and prepare for the transition to new machinery.
The partnership will ultimately face its first competitive test when four Nissan-powered cars begin the GEN4 era in Season 13.
