Inside the factory with Nissan’s Formula E team

Nissan’s Formula E team has taken things up a notch for Season 11 by introducing a new car which will be piloted by Norman Nato and Oliver Rowland.

The season, due to kick off on 7 December 2024 and run till 27 July 2025, will bring 17 races across 11 locations starting in São Paulo, Brazil and ending in London.

Unveiled at Nissan’s Formula E HQ near Paris, the new GEN3 EVO car features an updated version of the Sakura cherry blossom livery, something that’s been a fan favourite since its Season 9 debut. Likewise, the new car has undergone light cosmetic changes such as a revised front wing, but the biggest alteration is its all-wheel drive e-4ORCE 05 traction system which gives the new Nissan a large advantage off the line, in attack mode and during duels.

The system took 18 months to develop and allows the GEN3 EVO to sprint from 0-62mph in 1.82 seconds, making it a second quicker than the previous GEN3 car while its top speed remains unchanged at 200mph. While the old car produced 300kW during races and 350kW for qualifying, the new car churns out 400kW when qualifying and 350kW when racing. Nissan will stick with Hankook tyres for the new season, although these have been updated to provide between 5% and 10% more grip for the new powertrain. Testing for the new car begins on 4 November in Valencia.

Tomasso Volpe, Nissan’s Formula E managing director and team principal, said: “We’re excited for the new season and have been working hard in getting to grips with the GEN3 EVO car. Everything has been running smoothly so far and we’re looking forward to getting out on track in Valencia.

“Our new workshop is fully operational now, which is making a huge difference – we’ve been able to take full advantage of the facilities, allowing us to maximise the potential of the team. In terms of drivers, Norman has settled in very quickly, he knew most of the crew already so that made things easier than normal. Together with Oli, we’re confident we have a strong line-up ready to fight for wins and podiums throughout the upcoming campaign.”

The Nissan Formula E team also celebrates the completion of its new 2,600 square-meter facility, which resides just south of Paris. The facility features management offices, a simulator to help prep the drivers for upcoming races, and a workshop that allows the engineering team to work on the cars and prep them for the season.

Nissan ended Season 10 strongly with Oliver Rowland at the wheel after he secured a race victory in Round 16 at the London E-Prix. Things weren’t quite as easy for the team in the lead-up to the final race as both Rowland and Sacha Fenestraz missed out on points after race incidents which meant Nissan qualified ninth. The points were regained during a chaotic race putting the team fourth and with the use of attack mode late on, Rowland secured the lead and the team’s second victory of the year. This resulted in Nissan having 182 points and claiming fourth place in the Teams’ Championship.

Season 9 was driven by Norman Nato and Sacha Fenestraz with the duo bringing home 95 points, putting Nissan’s Formula E team seventh in the teams’ standings. For Season 11, both Rowland and Nato will be fighting Nissan’s corner.

Nato told EV Powered: “We had a really good second part to season 9. Of course, we didn’t achieve the results we wanted, but also, we have to remember that it was the first year for Nissan as a team. Before that, it was Nissan e.dams, so there was a big difference.

“We introduced a lot of new people; two new drivers and a new car was developed. And at the beginning of the season, we were lacking experience when it came to being a team. Towards the second part of the season, we began fighting for the top five podium as things became slightly easier. Nissan has now managed to make the package better, and the new car, I’m sure, is one of the most efficient ones yet, but it’s not all about the car. There’s a lot of strategy and management behind it all.

“I feel very comfortable with Nissan and because we fought hard for the top five podium previously, I’m really glad to be back.”

When asked how he feels the season might go for Nissan, Nato added: “Of course, we all want to win, but it’s something that’s very unpredictable in Formula E. A good example: I was with Andretti for Season 10 and my teammate was a world champion. From one year to another, he used the same car and team, but he went from being the world champion to finishing seventh. This just shows that the level for each year is increasing for every team. It’s something that we’re pushing hard just now, but it’s too early to say how things will go.”

Nismo, Nissan’s motorsport division, turns 40 this year and to add to the GEN3 EVO Formula E car reveal in Paris, the marque also pulled the cover off its new Ariya Nismo. If buyers wanted a top-spec Ariya previously, they would choose the Evolve which comes with a 63kWh or 87kWh battery, while power ranges from 214bhp to 301bhp. There’s also the choice of either front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. Now, you can opt for the Nismo, a trim placed above the Evolve.

The Nismo’s been fitted with additional aero bodywork, increasing downforce by 40 percent over a stock Ariya with no change to its 0.30 drag coefficient. Red accents which set aside the Nismo brand can be spotted throughout the cabin and on the bodywork, and there’s Nismo badging on the front splitter. At the rear, is a double lip spoiler and a centralised tail light built into the bumper, just like you get on a Formula E car.

Like Nismo cars of the past, most of the Ariya’s larger changes are underneath the bodywork. The suspension has been tuned to be 3% stiffer at the front and 10 at the rear. It also gets the e4ORCE four-wheel drive system and the torque split now means that it’s rear-biased, although it will vary accordingly depending on the road surface. The twin motors operate independently and the front takes a maximum of 60 percent of the torque while the rear takes 75, and according to Nissan, it produces more lateral turning force than a GT-R Nismo.

Likewise, the ABS has been tuned to shorten the brake distance by 8% over a stock Ariya. Power comes in at 429bhp, with 442lb ft of torque, which means the 2.2-tonne EV will manage 0-62mph in sub five seconds, a figure not far off the Evolve’s. Nismo engineers do claim, however, that it’ll cover the 50-70mph sprint in just 2.4 seconds, making it sprightlier than a Z Nismo in gear.

It’ll charge at 130kW DC but it also features a 22AC charger and the battery is the same 87kWh unit found in other variants. All Nismo cars will wear unique 20-inch Enkei wheels and there are four colours to choose from, with prices start at £56,620 OTR. Nissan says that the first 250 customers will receive their car in January.