Nissan to enter Formula E in 2018/19 season

[October 25, 2017]  (Reuters) - Nissan is to become the first Japanese car manufacturer competing in Formula E with an entry in the fifth season of the electric car racing series, organizers announced on Wednesday.

Formula E said in a statement that Nissan would replace one of the existing manufacturers in the 2018/19 season.

Media reports have indicated that will be alliance partners Renault, allowing the French manufacturer to focus on its works Formula One team.

"To have a name like Nissan coming on board is a momentous day for the series," said Formula E chief executive Alejandro Agag in a statement.

"It’s great to see our first Japanese manufacturer entering the frame, showing truly how global the electric revolution is. Japan is a country at the forefront of new technologies with one of the biggest followings of Formula E."

Manufacturers already involved in the electric series include BMW, Audi, Renault, Jaguar, Citroen and India's Mahindra.

A Nissan logo is seen at a car dealership in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico May 30, 2017. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez/File Photo

Mercedes and Porsche are due to arrive for season six, which is scheduled to start in 2019 and end in 2020.

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Nick Mulvenney)

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