Jaguar likely to enter Formula E

Jaguar is lining up a return to motorsport with a manufacturer presence in Formula E, according to Sky News.

Sky News reports that the British car manufacturer, which is owned by Tata Motors, will announce a move into the all-electric championship for season three next week.

Autosport's sister publication Autocar UK revealed last month Jaguar Land Rover was planning its first range of electric vehicles. The move into Formula E is set to act as a stepping stone towards JLR producing electric cars.

Jaguar is expected to work closely on the Formula E entry with Williams Advanced Engineering, with whom it has worked with on advanced technology on the Jaguar C-X75 hypercar concept.

Formula E will act as a live test bed for new electric technologies for JLR and will allow the firm to position itself as a maker of green technologies.

Competing in Formula E would pitch Jaguar against manufacturers like Renault, Citroen (through the DS brand) and Audi, plus electric-vehicle specialists Venturi and Mahindra and Chinese company NEXTEV.

Entering Formula E would require the brand to take one of the slots currently occupied by an existing entry, as the championship does not plan to expand beyond 10 teams.

Jaguar has not had a works motorsport programme since then-parent company Ford pulled it from Formula 1 in 2004, at the end of a five-year spell in the world championship.