Nissan wants to win with this new Formula E car

Following a successful season debut, Nissan is already gearing up for season six of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship series. The Japanese automaker won’t be bringing a new car to the field though. Instead, the Japanese automaker has updated the powertrain and painted their Formula E car with a new livery. While most Formula E teams have design schemes inspired by sponsors or racing colors, Nissan’s challenger dons a livery inspired by Japanese traditional wear – the Kimono.

The red, black and white design seen here is said to be a symbol of “longevity and good fortune”. At the same time, Nissan fans would also know it is also the brand’s iconic racing colors. In order to come up with the final design seen here, Nissan invited nearly 40 in-house designers to submit concepts for the new design.

“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. We used our iconic Nissan racing red, black and white colors layered diagonally in a kimono pattern, which creates a dynamic and powerful impression,” said Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan’s senior vice president for global design.

Together with the new livery, Nissan also developed an updated powertrain for season six, which is in line with new regulations that use only one motor. The updated single-motor powertrain replaces the dual-electric motor system which was used in the previous season.

“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,” said Michael Carcamo, Nissan’s global motorsports director.

During their debut season, Nissan finished second in the championship. They also had six podium finishes, six pole positions, and a total of 16 Super Pole qualifying appearances. The team ended their debut season with its first-ever victory during the final race weekend in New York.

For season six, Drivers Sebastien Buemi and Oliver Rowland will be back behind the wheel for the Nissan e.dams team. Season six of Formula E will kick off next month in Saudi Arabia. 

Along with the Formula E car's debut, Nissan also revealed the Leaf NISMO RC. Similar to the season-six challenger, it has the same kimono-inspired livery of red, black and white.

Unlike the Formula E car, no changes were made to the Leaf NISMO RC's powertrain. Instead, the changes are all cosmetic.