Written by Vyas Ponnuri
Jaguar TCS Racing have announced their commitment to the upcoming Gen4 era of Formula E, extending their stay in the series until the end of 2030, when the Gen4 cycle ends.
The tale of Jaguar's Formula E journey
The team from Kidlington have been a familiar face in the electric series, having joined way back in season three, taking up the spot left vacant on the grid by the folding up of the Trulli GP outfit.
The team opted to manufacture their own powertrain in-house, over choosing an existing manufacturer on the grid to partner with. 2012 GP3 champion Mitch Evans was chosen to drive for the team, partnering former A1 GP champion Adam Carroll.
The British outfit, decked in blue with Panasonic as a principal sponsor, wound up only tenth in the teams' standings, taking double points only once all season, when Evans and Carroll finished fourth and eighth in the Mexico City E Prix that year.
For season four, Jaguar sought greater consistency among their drivers, and brought onboard the maiden Formula E champion, Nelson Piquet Jr. Their fortunes did turn around, with Piquet scoring consistently early on, but it was Evans who took the team's first podium in the series, finishing third at the season opening Hong Kong E Prix.
Evans would later go on to take the team's first pole position later on, at the Zurich E Prix, helping his team to seventh in the standings, with 119 points to their name, a much improved showing from their debut season.
Evans would take the team's maiden victory at a popular race for the team — Rome, the scene of as many as three further victories for the Kiwi in the future. He would score in all but three races of season four, while teammate Piquet Jr was replaced by Alex Lynn after the Sanya E Prix, following a string of poor results.
For season five, the team opted to bring in endurance racer James Calado, who was coming off two excellent showings in the World Endurance Championship, alongside Evans for the season.
In a COVID-shortened season, the points dried up, and despite Evans even leading the championship at one point after winning at Mexico, the team would only finish seventh in the standings, netting 81 points to their name, while Evans wouldn't finish higher than sixth after his Mexico victory.
The British outfit would rebound strongly under new sponsorship by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) into season six, with Formula E veteran Sam Bird moving in from Virgin Racing to pair up with Evans, establishing a formidable line-up. Bird would become only the second Jaguar driver to score a victory, when he took the top honours in the opening weekend at Diriyah.
Bird would take victory at New York later that season, with Jaguar even in the lead of the constructors heading into the season finale at Berlin; however, after Evans was taken out in a start line melee in the second race that weekend, the team would relinquish the top spot to rivals Mercedes EQ.
After another solid season which saw Mitch Evans achieve the rarity of winning both races on the same weekend, at his famous haunt, the streets of Rome, Jaguar would finish the final season of the Gen2 era fourth.
The team would kick off their Gen3 showing with a bang, competing for the championship with customer team Envision Racing, ultimately losing out in the season finale at London by the slender margin of 12 points. Evans would shine once again, taking four victories for the team.
Heading into season ten, the team from Oxfordshire managed to net one of the biggest signings in the series, season nine runner-up Nick Cassidy, who switched allegiances from Jaguar-powered Envision Racing to move to the works Jaguar outfit. The team currently lead the standings, as of round seven at Misano, with 128 points to their name, as they eye a maiden championship in the series.
Second team to commit to Gen4
Jaguar become the second team to commit to the upcoming Gen4 era, after Nissan announced their decision to remain in Formula E until the end of the next cycle earlier at their inaugural home race in Tokyo, with both outfits confirming their presence in the series until 2030, at the very least.
Much like Nissan, Jaguar will also have remained in the sport for over a decade once the series reaches the conclusion of its next cycle.
Speaking of the Gen4 era, this will witness yet another advancement in the Formula E cars used, with the regeneration capacity of Formula E cars reaching upto 700 kW, and a power output surge of upto 600 kW. Fast charging is also expected to be a feature in the Gen4 era, with the technology set to be tried in the Gen3.5 era over the next two seasons.
Not too long ago, the Gen3.5 Formula E car was unveiled, set to take to the track for the upcoming two seasons of Formula E in 2025 and 2026, until the end of the current cycle. Featuring all wheel drive (AWD), grippier Hankook boots, and a claimed acceleration from zero to 60 mph in 1.82 seconds, it will become the quickest accelerating single-seater to date.
What the dignitaries said
Jeff Dodds, CEO, Formula E:
"We are thrilled that Jaguar TCS Racing are committing to the GEN4 era of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Jaguar's dedication to innovation and sustainability perfectly aligns with our mission to redefine the future of racing.
"As we look forward to the exciting advancements that the GEN4 era promises, Jaguar’s continued partnership underscores the significant impact that Formula E has had on the development of electric vehicle technology, and on setting the pace for greener, more exhilarating motorsport."
James Barclay, Team principal, Jaguar TCS Racing:
“This is great news for Jaguar TCS Racing and for Jaguar. As a team we recently celebrated our 100th race in Formula E and, with Jaguar being reimagined as a pure-electric brand from 2025, the timing couldn’t be better."
"Our commitment to the next, GEN4 era of Formula E is clear demonstration of the JLR Board’s confidence in the value of competition at the highest level, our race to innovate ethos and, importantly, how this aligns perfectly with our wider Reimagine business strategy. "
I am extremely proud of what the team has achieved to date in what is the pinnacle of electric racing, and we are all very excited for the future. Jaguar TCS Racing will continue to drive the rapid development of EV technology on the track, for the benefit of our future customers on the road.”
The news of Jaguar committing to the forthcoming Gen4 era of Formula E signifies their desire to remain in their series, and their renewed belief in the sustainability efforts of the series, alongside their burning desire to become a major force in the series, a championship-winning force at that.
How many teams on the current grid will commit to the upcoming Gen4 era? Only time will be able to tell us the answer to this question.
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