The TDK name will continue to be seen in Formula E this season after it confirmed a partnership as the Official Technology Partner to both the Porsche Formula E Team and the Porsche Coanda Esports Racing Team today.
The agreement will see TDK and Porsche Motorsport work closely on TDK’s core EV/Gaming relevant technologies to support the Porsche 99X Electric Formula E car and its Gen4 successor, and ESports simulator, to accelerate their performance, reliability and efficiency.
Previously a partner to the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team, TDK will continue its activities in the world’s only all-electric world championship in a partnership with Porsche that it calls ‘a live R&D lab for sustainable mobility, digital innovation and commercialisation of next‑generation electrification/gaming technologies'.
TDK, a global technology company and innovation leader in the electronics industry, based in Tokyo, Japan and engages its programmes with the tagline “In Everything, Better”.
The company was also famed as a manufacturer and producer of a variety of recordable media in the 20th century, has expanded its business into several areas including EV technology with a mission to contribute to societal transformation through the accumulation of advanced technologies.
As well as being integrated into the Porsche 99XElectric, TDK will also support the Porsche Coanda Esports Racing Team to help boost performance in simulation and competitive esports.
Commenting on the partnership, Norbert Palanovics, Head of Global Corporate Communications, TDK Corporation told The Race that “when we started to discuss a partnership with Porsche we found that their values very much matched ours.
“At TDK we say, 'In Everything, Better' and the engineering mindset that Porsche has was similar. It's our belief that we can contribute to success, both on the race track and then of course on the road as well, so it can be a mutually beneficial partnership.
“Our technologies are woven into the fabric of everything, creating transformation from within— quietly, but powerfully.
“With Porsche Motorsport, we see an opportunity to make better performance a reality - on the racetrack, in Esports, and in everyday life.”
Porsche Vice President Porsche Motorsport, Thomas Laudenbach added that “at Porsche Motorsport, innovation and performance are at the heart of everything we do.
“Partnering with TDK, whose technologies play such an important role in electrification and mobility, strengthens our commitment to pushing limits and inspiring the next generation.”
Why TDK came to Formula E
TDK’s continuation in Formula E is good news not only for its new venture with Porsche but also for Formula E.
The Race understands that the deal was overseen and driven forward by renowned sports commercial and marketing authority, Ricky Paugh, and the prominent 1440 B2B sports partnerships business.
A globally recognised and respected technology giant, TDK is exactly the kind of company Formula E should be attracting. With total sales of $14.4billion and employing 105,000 people worldwide, TDK brings a huge amount of kudos to the world championship as it is about to enter its fourth era.
TDK has thousands of components in all kinds of vehicles worldwide including battery powered electric vehicles and it is the advent of the EV that has according to TDK’s Norbert Palanovics “shows how important electro mobility is in general is for TDK. We truly believe in it and are confident that the whole acceptance of EVs, and the age of electrification will come everywhere.
“It's very natural for us to be in Formula E because competition and excellence in engineering is what really motivates us.”
Gen4, of which Porsche has now taken delivery of its test and development cars, is a key milestone that TDK will be immersed in. It is also one that Palanovics told The Race this week would be “a significant collaborative project for TDK.”
“I truly believe that the Gen4 will be a game changer for Formula E and for TDK.”
The Japanese company will also have a home race in 2026 with the third iteration of the Tokyo E-Prix at the Big Sight centre in Ariake District.
Last month TDK launched its new brand identity just before the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, a competition that TDK has been a key partner in for 42 years.
Its sporting heritage also includes a memorable spell sponsoring the Ajax of Amsterdam football team in the 1980s when legends such as Johann Cruyff, Frank Rijkaard and Marco van Basten wore what has become an iconic TDK branded red and white shirt.
“The new brand identity perfectly matches Formula E, because we want to show that we are at the forefront of technology,” Palanovics added.
“We are there to make society better through technology, EVs and electric motorsport which is helping in many ways to promote sustainability through clever technology and electro-mobility."
The fact that TDK has been announced as the technological partner of Porsche just as the German marque confirms an altered global motorsport strategy that concentrates on Formula E and IMSA is interesting.
Porsche’s activity in Formula E and its commitment to the future Gen4 regulations has never been questioned.
The framework for its continued devotion to electric motorsport is in place and while other manufacturers have come and gone, Porsche along with Jaguar, Nissan and Stellantis have seemingly never wavered from such solid assurances and will continue to use its global electric racing programme to highlight its range of automotive products and technology transfer with the present Formula E mission.
