BMW Stays On As FIA Formula E Official Vehicle Partner

As the second Formula E season gets underway in Beijing on October 17, BMW will be on hand once again as official vehicle partner.

Heading up the line-up will be the futuristic i8, playing the role of Safety Car – a fitting role considering that this is Formula E and not Formula One.

The i8, of course, makes for an extremely eco-friendly solution, as it boasts fuel consumption figures of 2.1 liters/100 km (134.5 mpg UK) and CO2 emissions of just 49g/km.

The all-electric BMW i3 will perform the role of Medical Car, as it did last year – though performance-wise, it can’t really compete with what Mercedes uses as a medical car in Formula One.

Aside from the two i-vehicles, a pair of BMW C evolution electric scooters and a BMW X5 xDrive40e plug-in hybrid will also be put to work. The scooters will be used mainly as shuttles, having a range of 100 km (62 miles).

The X5 xDrive40e has been adapted to the technical requirements of the FIA as it will serve as Official Rescue Car. The mods consist of additional LED lighting and FIA radio equipment and transponder integrated into the vehicle electronics.

Of course, none of these modifications are as extensive as the ones on the i8 Safety Car which comes with carbon-fiber racing seats and center console, six-point safety belt, modified trim elements on safety cell and a different position for the safety belts. The i8 also had its interior trim and airbags removed.

“BMW i and Formula E make a great match”, said Jorg Reimann, BMW Brand Experience VP. “The world governing body of motor sport, the FIA, is branching out in a new and extremely interesting direction with the FIA Formula E Championship – and we have been on board from the outset.”

The new FIA Formula E season starts on October 17 and feature 11 races in 10 countries.