Audi’s Formula E interests have become a little more invested: they’ve taken over ABT Schaffler’s spot in the series. The German automaker had been supporting ABT’s Formula E team, but has decided to enter the series competitively.

Audi needs a strong racing presence since they left Le Mans, and Formula E is the perfect image for the car: emphasizing not only speed, but technological know-how, and an eco-conscious marketing ethos which advertises that it is changing with the times.

Importantly, the move will also provide much-needed PR support and credibility for the company’s forthcoming e-tron lineup, which is currently in the concept phase of development, and expected to enter production formally in 2019.

Audi’s first competition in the Formula E series will be the first race of the 2018 season, which is currently scheduled for early December of this year. The Audi team will be known at that time as ‘Audi Sport ABT Schaffler’; the automaker’s racing team will continue to use ABT Schaffler’s powertrain components in their competition vehicles.

As Formula E has gained traction, other prominent automakers have started their own teams to maintain equilibrium in a market currently undergoing a sea change. The racing series has only been around for about three years, but, in that time, Jaguar Land Rover and the BMW Group have leaped in as well; JLR’s first season is currently underway, and BMW will race in the next. Mercedes-Benz is expected to announce entry in the very near future.