Nissan-e.dams forced to change technology

As already mentioned in our pages, the double engine of Nissan-e. dams has caused debate within the discipline, with several teams even having co-signed a letter addressed to the FIA ​​to request a ban on this technology. The reason for this request? Having two engines would allow energy to be stored in one of the two, which could then be used in recovery, thus exceeding the 200 kW authorized in the race without this being seen in the data.

Problem is, the FIA ​​approved the system at the start of the season and cannot disavow it... To try to get out of this situation on top, it therefore decided toban dual engines for next season. A sort of “gentlemen's agreement” which allows Nissan to finish its season without the matter going any further, and for other teams to hastily launch into similar technology, which is very costly to develop at a rapid pace.

ICYMI: Check out the highlights from yesterday's amazing @FIAFormulaE #SwissEPrice on the streets of Bern. A great day on home soil for our Swiss ace @Sebastien_Buemi.
-#NissanFormulaE #IntelligentMobility pic.twitter.com/cqTr8SACv3

- Nissan NISMO (@NISMO) 24th June 2019

This decision was not, however, without generating a reaction from Jean-Paul Driot, co-owner of the Nissan-e team. dams. “We started with an innovative power unit but we had some tuning issues and that showed in our results at the start of the season. We knew how to go fast in qualifying, but couldn't translate the performance into the race.

Now that we're almost there, we learn that our engine architecture will be banned next season. We are incomprehensible, especially since we have informed the FIA ​​of each stage of the development of our powertrain.

We then understand that lobbies were exercised by the competition, and we take note of this. However, it is clear that by returning to a single engine, we must enter a new development cycle and we will lose a year of experience compared to the other teams.

While Formula E works on a principle of innovation, we find it a shame to deprive ourselves of trying to develop things that could have made sense in the field of electric cars, including customers for whom Nissan is developing series electric motors. » It's hard to prove him wrong. In Formula E as elsewhere, we must ultimately not step out of line…