Andy_Bangle Posted March 8, 2013 Report Share Posted March 8, 2013 Plans for motor racing’s electric car world championship have been stepped up after eight cities were named as venues for next year’s inaugural series.London, Rome, Los Angeles, Miami, Beijing, Putrajaya in Malaysia, Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro have agreed to host the series, which will take place in city centres or around major landmarks. The streets surrounding the Olympic stadiums are likely to be the locations for races in London and Beijing, while Rome’s race will be staged around the historic Circus Maximus. The Los Angeles route will feature the Staples Center. Buenos Aires is planning to stage its race in the Palermo neighbourhood, while Miami’s will be staged along its waterfront and Rio’s along the Marina da Glória. Two other venues will complete the 10-race first series, to be chosen from a shortlist of Vancouver, Berlin, Tokyo and Hong Kong. Races in Africa and Oceania would be added from 2015. The plans were presented on Friday in Paris to the world motorsport council of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, the governing body. The race calendar will be set in September. Prompted by the European Commission, the FIA is promoting the electric car series to raise public awareness about green car technology. Financing for the series is underpinned by Enrique Banuelos, a Spanish real estate developer, who is thought to have committed €100m to the project. Organisers are hoping to raise the same amount in sponsorship. Teams will race in a two-gear machine provided by the organisers and costing €350,000. It runs off lithium-iron batteries and has a weight of 780kg, with a maximum speed of 220km per hour. A consortium including McLaren and a French racing technology company is designing and building the power train. Each driver needs two cars because the electric racing car can run for only 25 minutes before it needs recharging. Races will be run on Saturdays and cities are planning for ticketed seating of 20,000-30,000 spectators in grandstands, as well as standing room around the circuits. Teams from Britain and China have already declared they intend to take part, and eight other teams will be formed from a mixture of established racing teams and global brands. London’s mayor Boris Johnson described the championship as “a scintillating concept,” with the potential to promote the manufacture of electric vehicles. He added that hosting a street race could also benefit London economically. Cities named for electric F1 series - FT.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mook Posted March 8, 2013 Report Share Posted March 8, 2013 Yawn... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon magnifique Posted March 8, 2013 Report Share Posted March 8, 2013 Racing milk floats down a massive hill would be more fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tipex Posted March 8, 2013 Report Share Posted March 8, 2013 It'll never happen, fortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patently Posted March 8, 2013 Report Share Posted March 8, 2013 Prompted by the European Commission, the FIA is promoting the electric car series to raise public awareness about green car technology. Each driver needs two cars because the electric racing car can run for only 25 minutes before it needs recharging. Sounds like it will certainly raise awareness of electric cars, but not in the manner intended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theduisbergkid Posted March 8, 2013 Report Share Posted March 8, 2013 The battery charge thing is intentional, like refuelling in F1 cars, to create a bit of an additional technical challenge, although I can't see this thing actually getting off the ground. It won't work without Manufacturer's support, and none of them are making any money from EVs, in fact many seem to be quietly dropping their EV plans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tipex Posted March 8, 2013 Report Share Posted March 8, 2013 Getting out of one car, and into another isn't that much of a technical challenge though is it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patently Posted March 8, 2013 Report Share Posted March 8, 2013 Getting out of one car, and into another isn't that much of a technical challenge though is it. Have you tried that with a race harness & full kit?! We allow 10 minutes to strap in & get started I suspect they're quicker, though I'd hope so! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Posted March 8, 2013 Report Share Posted March 8, 2013 Im buzzin' about this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cuprabob Posted March 8, 2013 Report Share Posted March 8, 2013 Formula E reminds me of extremely slow Golfs and Polos of the 80s as Formula E was a precursor to bluemotion. IOM TT has had the Zero TT for a few years now and started off as a bit of a gimmick but in a very short time the electric bikes are averaging over 100mph and the leading riders are now riding in the event. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon magnifique Posted March 8, 2013 Report Share Posted March 8, 2013 The female riders especially are loving having that many warm batteries between their legs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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