Formula E will gain a supplementary series for the 2018/2019 season with the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy series, a one-make series that will pit 20 Jaguar I-Pace electric crossovers against one another. On Tuesday, we learned of the first team to sign on.
None other than Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing is the first to commit to the I-Pace eTrophy series. Racing legend and 3-time IndyCar champion Bobby Rahal leads the team and he expressed his excitement to join the innovative one-make series.
"Certainly, electric power is relatively new in motorsport, but being at the forefront of the technological advancement made possible by testing on the racetrack that can transfer over into production cars is exciting for us," he said.
Each season of the I-Pace eTrophy series will consist of 10 races at the same city-based circuits Formula E will compete at. At the series' announcement, Jaguar showed off a concept of what the race cars will look like. Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations will build the production race cars. The series will also launch alongside major changes to Formula E itself. From season five onward, teams may only compete with one car, which will eliminate the need for car swaps, thanks to improved battery technology.
Jaguar also said it will announce more news surrounding the I-Pace eTrophy series in the coming months. Meanwhile, the production I-Pace electric crossover will go on sale in the United States in the second half of 2018. It will house a 90 kilowatt-hour battery pack to provide an estimated 220-mile range and an electric motor at both axles for a combined 400 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque.
