Eric Broadley created Lola in 1958. It became a big name in racing. However, in 2012, the company faced bankruptcy. By 2013, all parts of the company went out of business. Then, in 2022, Till Bechtolsheimer bought Lola’s rights and property. He wanted to make Lola a trusted option for racing teams and car brands again.
Now, Lola has joined hands with Yamaha Motor for a Formula E team. Yamaha will provide the electric motor, and Lola will assemble the rest of the powertrain. They have worked together for 18 months and plan to test their car in June.
In Formula E, all cars use a 350-kW electric motor. The rules might change in 2025 to allow the front motor to drive the front wheels too. Yamaha already has a motor designed for the Subaru STI E-RA, which could fit the Formula E regulations.
Lola isn’t just helping Yamaha. They might offer their powertrain to other teams later on. Mark Preston, Lola’s motorsports director, wants to build a unique electric platform. Before joining Lola, Preston led the DS Techeetah team to two Formula E championships.
Lola also plans to work on hydrogen-powered cars for the Le Mans race in 2027. They prefer a fuel-cell setup but are open to other ideas, like hydrogen-based engines.
Currently, there are 11 teams in Formula E. Lola, and Yamaha might take over one of these teams instead of adding a new one.
Also read: The 2024 Yamaha YZF-R7: A Masterpiece in Middleweight Sport Bikes
