Mahindra Reva’s Formula E Entry Plans Revealed

By Ganesh

Updated: Tuesday, January 28, 2014, 12:08 [IST]

[Update: Mahindra has since officially become a part of the 2014 Formula E Championship] Formula E is an international single seater racing championship that is scheduled to debut in September 2014. It will be held on the same lines as Formula 1 Grand Prix, with gasoline engine racers replaced with pure electric racers. Also, unlike Formula 1, all Formula E races will be held in street circuits.

Each season will consist of 10 races, featuring races in various metropolitan cities across the world such as Bangkok, Beijing, Buenos Aires, London, Rome, Los Angeles, Miami, Putrajaya, Rio de Janeiro and Berlin. These have not been finalised and the possibility of a race in India is still very real.

Formula E's association with India could get a boost if the what the latest rumor states is true. Autocar has learnt that Mahindra Reva, the electric car division of M&M has shown interest in fielding a team of its own. In regards to this Mahindra, reportedly, has had talks with Formula E boss Alejandro Agag. The report also states Chetan Maini, chief of strategy and technology at Mahindra visited McLaren and Williams facilities post the unveiling of the Formula E racer at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

McLaren and Williams, along with Renault will be a major part of Formula E. The two former teams are will be responsible for supplying electric motors and other electrical systems for the racers, respectively.

For 2014, all race cars will be supplied by these suppliers and thus, all the cars will be exactly the same. This will be done to reduce pressure on teams considering it will be the debut season. From 2015 onwards, teams will have to develop their own electric racers.

Mahindra is currently looking into the feasibility of fielding a team all by its own considering it would require huge amounts of financial investment. Each team will have two drivers and it is being said that one of the drivers racing for Mahindra will be Karun Chandhok.

For more information about Formula E you can read our earlier stories.