---
title: "Jaguar Announces New Electric Car, Formula E Race Team"
description: "Coventry launches its first global motorsport program in more than a decade (and hints at a new, all-electric future)."
date: "2015-12-15"
modified: "2015-12-15"
authors:
  - name: "Max Prince"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/max-prince"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/1293/jaguar-announces-new-electric-car-formula-e-race-team"
categories:
  - "News"
  - "Racing"
tags:
  - "Electric Vehicle"
  - "Jaguar"
---

# Jaguar Announces New Electric Car, Formula E Race Team

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/archive-images/121515_jaguarracing_hero.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Renault. Audi. Peugeot. All have devoted resources to establishing a presence in Formula E, the fledgling all-electric Grand Prix racing series, over the past three years. Now, a British marque will be joining those ranks. Jaguar has [announced its return to global motorsport](<https://newsroom.jaguarlandrover.com/en-in/jaguar/news/2015/12/jag_formula_e_press_release_151215/>) next year by way of a new Formula E team, as well as its intention to build a road-going electric vehicle.

This is a big deal for both the series and automaker. Jaguar is in need of a cohesive plan for sustainability, having scrapped the [hybrid C-X75 hypercar](<https://www.thedrive.com/accelerator/725/f1-driver-obtains-bond-villains-jaguar-supercar-hoons-gratuitously>) project and geared up for a diesel model onslaught at the worst possible moment. The company’s chief engineer Nick Rogers confirmed that “electric vehicles will definitely play a role… in future product portfolio” during the Formula E team announcement. Rogers didn’t go into details, but Jag’s first all-electric model will likely be an SUV, a [Tesla Model X](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/369/sorry-friends-but-the-tesla-model-x-isnt-progress>) rival, and arrive sometime next year.

Formula E, now in its second season, hasn’t landed squarely in the hardcore motorsports fan base, but is positioning itself as a preeminent proving ground for future tech. A coherent tie between podium and product makes racing a justifiable expense for manufacturers. In the electrified future, Formula E could become the sport easiest to reconcile with corporate agendas: It offers live stress testing of batteries, drivetrains, charging, an valuable tool for R&D.

Jaguar has won Le Mans seven times, and successfully campaigned touring cars during the early Eighties. This will be its first factory-backed race effort since withdrawing from Formula 1 in 2004.

https://youtube.com/embed/3MHZhdQbG0M

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/themaxprince>)