Yamaha has announced that it is bringing a new powertrain to Formula E next year. The current Gen 3 powertrain includes a spec front-axle harvesting system and a spec battery. The team is permitted to produce its own electric motor and its control system, and the transmission. While the chassis and tyres are spec, the rear suspension can be designed to accommodate the requirements of the mid-mounted power unit.
Yamaha is undertaking this project in conjunction with Lola Cars. Until recently, it was widely assumed that Lola, like fellow British customer racecar manufacturers March and Reynard, had been eliminated by Italian rival Dallara’s dominance of today’s overwhelmingly spec chassis market (although the Formula E chassis is produced by French EV specialist Spark Racing Technology).
In fact, Lola was brought (bought!) out of hibernation by entrepreneur Till Bechtolsheimer in 2022. He has big plans for the revived marque, and although it doesn’t have the scope to make its own chassis for Formula E, it will be involved in all aspects of the 2025 bid. Interestingly, Lola’s motorsport director, Mark Preston, was team principal of the DS Techeetah when it won back-to-back Formula E titles.
Officially, Yamaha and Lola are reported to have “signed a technical partnership agreement for the development and supply of high-performance electric powertrains to be part of an official manufacturer in the FIA Formula E World Championship, the world’s premier racing series for all-electric single-seater vehicles”.
The new partners add: “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.”
While Lola and Yamaha (who reportedly have been collaborating on this project for over a year) are developing everything they can, including software, we understand that the rear axle-powering electric motor will come from Helix and feed through an Xtrac gearbox.