Nissan’s Formula E race car gets new kimono-themed look

Nissan’s Formula E car will don a new, Japan-inspired look as it returns for another season of the electric street racing series to demonstrate the power and performance of the company’s EV technology. Here’s the news from Nissan:

Nissan unveiled the new race car livery in Yokohama, ahead of season six of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship series. The red, black and white design is inspired by the Japanese kimono garment, a traditional symbol of longevity and good fortune. It will also be featured on the Nissan LEAF NISMO RC, the dual electric-motor performance vehicle based on the Nissan LEAF electric car.

“As we approach the beginning of our second season of Formula E competition, our design team proposed a new look, one that celebrates our Japanese heritage and vibrant technology DNA,” said Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan’s senior vice president for global design. “We used our iconic Nissan racing red, black and white colors layered diagonally in a kimono pattern, which creates a dynamic and powerful impression.”

Nissan invited its nearly 40 in-house designers, working in key markets around the world, to submit concepts for the new design.

Drivers Sebastien Buemi and Oliver Rowland will be back behind the wheel for the Nissan e.dams team. The team entered the championship to showcase its zero-emission vehicle technologies, communicate the company’s Nissan Intelligent Mobility vision, and learn lessons that will be used to develop better road cars for customers.

Highlights of season five included achieving second in championship, six podium finishes (including the last five races), six pole positions (the most for any team), and 16 Super Pole qualifying appearances combined by Buemi and Rowland, making Nissan e.dams the best qualifying team in the championship. The team ended the season with its first ever victory during the final race weekend in New York.

Nissan has developed an updated powertrain for season six, in line with new series regulations. It replaces the dual electric-motor system that delivered record-setting results for Nissan e.dams in season five.

“The second season is sometimes harder than the first,” said Michael Carcamo, Nissan’s global motorsports director. “With a major change to a single-motor solution, we had plenty to do in the off-season. We’ll use everything we learned from season five to improve our package, with an even greater emphasis on battery and energy management.”

The Nissan e.dams team hit the track last week at a series pre-season test in Valencia, Spain. The team posted times in the top ten of every session throughout three days of testing.

“Finishing second as a team last year was great,” said Buemi, who is the top all-time record-holder in Formula E with the most pole positions, fastest laps and wins. “This year, the objective is to fight for the championship.”

Rowland, the best-performing Formula E rookie last season with three pole positions and two podium finishes, echoed Buemi’s enthusiasm.

“I really appreciate Nissan taking a bit of a risk with me last year, as I was a rookie and started quite late,” Rowland said. “Luckily, it worked out for all of us, and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel again, pushing forward and improving.”

Season six of Formula E will kick off next month in Saudi Arabia. Fourteen races will be held in 12 cities, with the final double-header round taking place in London. New venues this season include Seoul, Jakarta, and the London circuit, which runs inside the Excel London exhibition center.