Eight of the ten teams to participate in the inaugural Formula E electric racing series have been selected. Mahindra Racing has been signed as the eighth team to join the global championship, which begins in 2014.
Mumbai-based Mahindra is known mostly in the U.S. for producing tractors, but the company is already a part of the MotoGP World Championship. The Mahindra Reva Company is also a developer and producer of electric vehicles. “We strongly believe that Formula E can provide an excellent global showcase for our electric vehicle technology,” said Anand Mahindra, Chairman and Managing Director of Mahindra Group. “With advanced operations and expertise in electronics, IT, automotive technologies and manufacturing, we are already seeing the fusion of this technology into our electric vehicle operations. Racing will further accelerate that trend while Formula E is set to raise awareness globally about the benefits of electric vehicles.”
The Formula E Championship is an FIA-sanctioned racing series that begins next September, with ten races taking place worldwide, including events in Los Angeles, Miami, Beijing and London. Current participants include Andretti Autosport, Dragon Racing, China Racing, Super Aguri, Drayson Racing, e.dams and Audi Sport ABT. Teams will field two drivers each, and fully electric Spark-Renault SRT_01E cars have been homologated by the FIA. The series is open to independently developed vehicles, and is expected to develop into a multi-make, multi-chassis series as competition heats up.
