Porsche announced today that it is going to continue racing in the all-electric Formula E championship through 2026. The move comes at a time when both Porsche and Formula E as an organization benefit from the partnership. It could end up having a far grander impact on the sport too.
Porsche is a mainstay in Formula E and has enjoyed a great season so far this year. Its factory team has four wins and its customer team has two more. It’s been a part of the sport since 2019 and this new commitment through 2026 allows it to continue to use what it learns in Formula E across its business.
It says that it’ll continue to use its third-generation 99X electric race car through that year but that it’ll continue to work on the fourth-gen version scheduled to take over in Formula E in 2026/2027. This is a big move for Porsche and it comes at a time when the racing championship needs more big-time commitments from automakers.
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“We’re convinced that our presence and successes in Formula E will continue to lay a foundation for future mobility solutions. It offers the most competitive environment to accelerate the development of high-performance vehicles with a focus on environmental friendliness and energy efficiency,” says Michael Steiner, Member of the Executive Board for Research and Development at Porsche AG.
“We look forward to actively shaping the successful future of Formula E and thereby giving electric mobility even more momentum on a global scale,” he continued. Porsche is no stranger to electric vehicles both in the automotive sphere and elsewhere. Aside from cars like the Taycan it also fields a full lineup of e-bikes for those that enjoy them.
This news could also spur other brands to join the fray now that Porsche is showing its support. In the past few years, Formula E saw Audi, BMW, and Mercedes all drop out of the Championship. McLaren has since jumped into the grid but Formula E can use all of the positive press it can get and more big-name brands would help that.
