Formula One is arguably the most glamorous sport on the planet, racing the fastest cars, around beautiful locations all over the world, and attracting millions in advertising. The electric vehicle industry is hoping that an electric version of the sport, Formula E, will increase awareness of EVs around the world and help attract people to the fact that EVs don't have to be boring and slow.
The first ever season of Formula E will begin in 2014 and Berlin has just been announced as the 10th, and last, city to sign up to host a race.
The race will be held at the purpose built track on the former Tempelhof Airport, and Berlin hopes that the event will help develop the city's desire to encourage more sustainable vehicles, having already installed more than 200 charging points around the capital.
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Gernot Loben berg, the director of the Berlin Agency for Electromobility, said that"Formula E in Berlin will show a wide audience that electric mobility is fun and free of emissions. Formula E also suits the city as to date we have introduced more than 150 projects in the field of electric mobility."
The venues that will host races have been chosen in order to promote EVs to the urban audience that is most suited to using the technology. The cities involved include London, Rome, Los Angeles, Miami, Beijing, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Bangkok, and the Malaysian city of Putrajaya.
Formula E will consist of 10 teams, each fielding two drivers who will race for around an hour at speeds exceeding 220kph.
Formula E car.
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For the first year of the sport, approved by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the governing body for most automobile racing sports such as Formula One and the World Rally Championship, all of the cars will be supplied by a consortium that includes Renault, McLaren, Williams, the designer Spark, and Italian chassis manufacturer Dallara. For the second season beginning in 2015 the teams are encouraged to design their own cars.
By. Charles Kennedy of Oilprice.com
Charles is a writer for Oilprice.com More