Japanese automaker aims to acquire cutting-edge electric technology in the premier EV race series. This multi-year partnership with Yamaha also marks Lola Cars' return to global motorsport.
28 Mar 2024 | 4217 Views | By Autocar Professional Bureau
Yamaha Motor Co has announced today that it has signed a technical partnership agreement with the UK-based Lola Cars for the development and supply of high-performance electric powertrains to be part of an official manufacturer in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the world’s premier racing series for all-electric ...
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Yamaha Motor Co has announced today that it has signed a technical partnership agreement with the UK-based Lola Cars for the development and supply of high-performance electric powertrains to be part of an official manufacturer in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the world’s premier racing series for all-electric single-seater vehicles.
Through this link to Formula E, Yamaha Motor will work on developing cutting-edge electric technologies with the aim of raising its expertise and capabilities in this field.
Lola is developing a vehicle package that can be supplied to racing teams competing in Formula E. Yamaha plans to develop and supply the electric powertrain (power unit), working closely in technical partnership with Lola aiming to develop and acquire the ultimate in energy management technology and the world's highest levels of power density and efficiency.
Yamaha has set a companywide environmental goal to achieve carbon neutrality in Scope 3 emissions (produced from Yamaha’s value chain or used of sold products) by 2050. To create a more sustainable world, it will continue promoting the research and development of technologies that contribute to sustainability.
Lola Cars returns to motorsport
With this latest development, Lola Cars marks its return to global motorsport in a multi-year technical partnership with Yamaha Motor Company and will enter the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship from Season 11.
The iconic, globally renowned motorsport brand, which has more than 500 championship wins, is working with Yamaha to develop and supply a powertrain to compete in the world’s first all-electric, single-seater race series. With track racing deep in the DNA of both Lola Cars and Yamaha, this new technology partnership not only provides an opportunity to join the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship as it moves to the GEN3 Evo platform for the 2024/25 season but also creates opportunities across global motorsport and in the broader zero emissions transportation space.
Mark Preston, Motorsport Director, Lola Cars said: “We are thrilled to confirm our entry in Formula E. For us, this is more than just an opportunity to return Lola to the track, it’s also a fantastic platform for technological development.
“Lola Cars has a decorated history of success in chassis and aerodynamic design. This project will allow us to create a unique electrified platform with a software focus at its core to provide a basis for Lola’s wider plans in defining the future of motorsport technology.”
The partnership is the first of several major projects planned to re-establish the British company as an industry leader in sustainable engineering and motorsport, strategically focusing on three areas of electrification, hydrogen and sustainable fuels and materials.
Till Bechtolsheimer, Chairman, Lola Cars, commented: “We are incredibly excited to be partnering with the Yamaha Motor Company as we enter the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. To be selected by one of the most innovative OEMs in the world to partner on a project of this significance is a testament to the caliber of the team that we have been building at Lola.
“The focus of this project is squarely around technological development in which Lola is fully invested. We see the highly efficient 350 kW electric powertrain that underpins the manufacturer’s perimeter in Formula E, as a cornerstone technology with exciting applications across many forms of topflight international motorsport in the coming years.”
Heiji Maruyama, Managing Executive Officer and Director, Yamaha Motor Co, said: “Yamaha Motor Company is accelerating the research and development of various technologies that contribute to sustainability. As the technical partner, we hope to acquire more advanced energy management technologies through the highest level of electric racing in Formula E. We also share Lola's new philosophy of sustainable motorsport and we are very pleased and honored to form this partnership with them."
Since acquiring Lola Cars in 2022, Bechtolsheimer and his team have been developing their program from a new global headquarters in Silverstone, UK, building on the legacy of the most successful manufacturer of customer race cars of all time.
Founded by Eric Broadley in 1958, Lola Cars has designed and produced nearly 5000 race cars spanning 400 different model types, gaining unparalleled success in motorsport championships around the world, including IndyCar, Le Mans, Formula 1, Can-Am, Formula 3000, Formula 5000, A1GP, Formula Ford and Touring Cars.