Mahindra to participate in brand new Formula E championship

Mahindra & Mahindra, India’s largest sports utility vehicle maker said that it would compete in the all new Formula E championship that starts in 2014. Mahindra is one of the 10 teams that would compete in the all-electric FIA-backed championship.

This is the first car racing initiative of Mahindra Racing which was set up about 3 years ago to participate in FIM MotoGP, the world motor cycle racing championship. This initiative will be Mahindra Racing’s first foray into car racing and will be headed by SP Shukla, chairman Mahindra Racing and president – group strategy.

The series that will be run by Formula E Holdings promises to push teams towards developing technology in various areas – battery, electric motor and charging technology. In the first year the championship will practically run as a one-make series.

Electric racing will help the company develop the next generation EV tech for Mahindra Reva’s future cars, which means the company’s portfolio could expand beyond just the current e2o. However, the company did not commit on a time line to bring its own electric technology in the series.

“We aspire to be one of the most admired brands in the world and Formula E will allow us to achieve that,” said Anand Mahindra, chairman  Mahindra & Mahindra.

The Formula E championship will be held in 10 major cities across the world, starting with Beijing on the 20th of September, 2014 and ending with London on the 27th of June, 2015.