Should Tesla Enter Formula E ?

[Roys3]

I think it would be a great if Tesla entered a car: Formula E’s wild new racecar makes electric racing look cool

 

[Roys3]

Here are the current teams: Teams & Drivers | FIA Formula E
Is Elon a sportsman? (Seriously, I don't know...)

PS: Hire Nico Rosberg to drive or manage. Bring him out of racing retirement!

 

[Dan Detweiler]

Only reason I voted no was because at this point I believe all their resources are occupied with ramping 2 vehicles and beginning production of two more. Then there is the energy side. Participation in racing circuits is basically advertising and their advertising budget is $0. No sense spending money, resources, and energy at this point supporting a racing team in my opinion.

Dan

 

[KenC]

No. One, I think you have to buy an existing team since the fields are limited. And motor racing in general is a huge money sink. Two, Formula E is a spec series, with the same chassis, the same battery. The only thing you can develop is your powertrain. Three, Faraday Failure was involved, sponsored the Andretti team, which is another strike against it. Tesla doesn't need to be in Formula E. It's not helping NIO sales.

 

[Roys3]

What else is Elon going to do with his billions? Sell some stock, buy a team on behalf of Tesla, see how the stock price reacts.
These teams won't get any cheaper over time. It's early days...

 

[felixtb]

I think yes. Tesla has not needed to advertise, and arguably still do not need to do it. However, real competition is now only around the corner and they will loose a portion of sales outside of the US and somewhat less in the US..... already next year we have Porsche, Audi and VW arriving with their first offerings and Jaguar will hit their stride.... etc etc. In the old days TESLA did not have a large machine to build cars that needed to be nourished with orders but now they do. And not only cars but energy storage units that also need to find their homes in cars and other things.

Yes, racing is advertising but also research. And from next year or at the latest in two seasons FormulaE teams will also be allowed to develop their own power sources. So there is a real research and advertising opportunity to look at. And the competition is going there. Audi is there and so is Jaguar, Mercedes and Porsche are going there......

These are the reasons I vote Yes.

 

[KenC]

All the cars use the Formula E chassis. They all use the same battery, which has less power than my dual-motor Model 3. The only part they can develop is the powertrain, which no one can see. Visually, all the cars will look the same. This is not F1 where a Ferrari is distinctively a Ferrari. A front-running Audisport, looks just like a back marker Nio.

It'd be far better for Tesla to run a bespoke car at LeMans, than in Formula E. That could be a car, distinctively shaped like a Tesla, presumably in the GT class, and they could learn something about cooling the battery that could trickle down to use in their regular vehicles.

 

[Roys3]

If little Porsche can get in (probably next year), then so can Tesla.
Great looking test car!

 

[KenC]

If little Porsche can get in (probably next year), then so can Tesla.
Great looking test car!

I get it, you like Formula E, but you know, that Porsche is EXACTLY the same as the Nio, or BMW, or Audi, or Nissan. I guess you didn't read my two previous posts, but they all use the exact same chassis.