“Our whole economy depends on improving the environment, and people and governments are starting to realise that,” says Alejandro Agag, chief executive of the FIA-backed sport. “We need to innovate to combat pollution and climate change… [and] Formula E shows that change can happen.”
Mr Agag reckons Formula E can help develop the parts necessary to make electric cars an everyday reality, and encouraging consumers to reassess their view of electric cars as, well, pedestrian. Though still early days, it’s already clear that this new sport has plenty to offer. For example, unlike Formula 1, which has been criticised of late for being dominated by one or two drivers, this new electric version is much more unpredictable and exciting. Indeed, six out of 20 drivers went into the season finale race in Battersea Park with a decent chance of picking up the championship.
For entertainment purposes that’s important, as is the long list of well-known, experienced drivers competing in the sport, such as Jarno Trulli, Nick Heidfeld and first FIA Formula E world champion Nelson Piquet junior, the former Renault F1 driver whose somewhat chequered career has been revitalised by the new electric racing circuit. The cars, which look strikingly similar to those used in Formula 1 and Formula 3000, aren’t all that bad either. Thanks to some fine engineering, these lightweight machines can do 0-62mph in about 3 seconds and reach 140mph.
Cars are entirely powered by lithium-ion batteries, which during the race are limited to 150kN (202.5bhp) – adequate enough for about a 30-minute run depending on speed. As races last for an hour and replacing batteries is too dangerous, drivers must pit to swap cars midway through. That’s satisfactory for now, though eventually Mr Agag is confident that new methods will one day arise, enabling cars to be charged on track – Scalextric style.
Another benefit for Formula E is location. Rather than being lumped in obscure locations like Silverstone, races are taking place in the hearts of cities such as London, Miami, Los Angeles and Berlin. That’s possible because of the lack of emissions and noise produced by the battery-powered cars.
But Mr Agag still faced a number of challenges from some disgruntled locals. In Battersea Park, for example, emus had to be moved from the Zoo at a cost of £15,000 because vets were concerned they’d be distressed by the noise from the construction work. Formula E also faced opposition from local dog walkers. According to Mr Agag, one lady complained that her dog had built such an emotional attachment to the park that moving it to one of the city’s many other green patches would cause it too much stress. To satisfy that request, Formula E kept an area free for dog walkers.
The point is though that one day those few responsible for the ‘Save Battersea Park’ Facebook page may just come around to the idea of this new sport. If anything, the innovations already made since it launched are only going to speed up the process of electric cars appearing on our roads and lanes, a reality that Norbert Rücker, head of commodities research at Julius Baer, reckons is pivotal to our long-term health. "There are 150,000 premature deaths in Europe due to air pollution”, he says, “with lots of these fatalities coming from the internal combustion engines we use today.”
A gradual switch from diesel and gasoline cars to electric ones is also likely to have other big implications. Mr Rücker believes that the recent downturn of energy prices is something we will have to get used to, as it’s unlikely that demand for the black stuff will ever return to its peak consumption levels seen in 2005. Even before electric cars become the norm, he says the fact that people are driving less in the US shows how much times are changing. “In the States people moved back into the cities after the housing bubble burst and are therefore driving less.” Given that a tenth of global oil is consumed in US cars, that’s already having a massive impact on oil markets.
