Jaguar Land Rover will soon be entering the all-electric world of Formula E, according to a report by Sky News.
The report, which cites a source ‘close to Jaguar Land Rover’, claims the news will be announced on Tuesday. If true, it would mark Jaguar’s first frontline motorsport since Formula One, which it left in 2014.
Jaguar is expected to work closely with Williams Advanced Engineering, a company it has worked with before on the C X75 hypercar concept.
It is thought the entry in the competition would allow the British manufacturer to test out electric technologies that could filter down to production cars.
An insider said: “It offers live testing for electrification technologies in areas such as batteries and drive-trains; that’s why it looks valuable to them.”
It may, of course, just be a vanity project that would cost Jaguar significantly fewer pennies than a re-entry into Formula One and one that highlights a strong belief in electric powertrains.
The move makes even more sense when you consider Jaguar is reportedly set to unveil an all-electric concept car at the 2016 Paris Motor Show that will have a 300-mile range and a £60,000 price tag, putting it in Tesla Model S territory.
Let’s also not forget it’s no stranger to the subject, with an electric Defender already under its belt and that a number of rival manufacturers are already involved in Formula E, including Renault, Audi and Peugeot.
Jaguar declined to comment on the Sky News report.
Formula E is the world’s first fully-electric racing series and is already in its second season. Ten teams with two drivers each take part in races that use city streets instead of circuits.
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