Pininfarina on Tuesday announced it is entering the Formula E Championship as a sponsor of Mahindra Racing.
In a statement, the Italian design house said its decades of experience crafting cars will help Mahindra Racing in developing its Formula E race cars, starting with the M5Electro being developed for the 2018/2019 Formula E Championship, the fifth season of the electric car racing series.
The Mahindra Racing team is owned by Indian conglomerate Mahindra, which also owns the digital consulting firm Tech Mahindra, Pininfarina's parent company since 2014. Among the synergies inherent in the tie-up is access to Pininfarina's wind tunnel, which has helped shaped numerous cars including some Formula 1 racers.
“We are very proud to be part of the Mahindra Racing Formula E Team and to contribute with our know-how and expertise to enhancing the performance of Mahindra Racing’s cars,” Pininfarina CEO Silvio Pietro Angori said in a statement. “This partnership enhances Pininfarina’s passion for racing and exceptional, environmentally responsible automotive performance.”
Mahindra hopes to use the experience gained from competing in Formula E for the development of electric road cars under a strategy known as “Race to Road,” and it's possible we'll see the resulting cars marketed under the Pininfarina brand, something hinted at by Mahindra Chairman Anand Mahindra as recently as last year.
