Despite anyone’s guess as to why it’s such a big draw, car racing doesn’t appear to be going away. While NASCAR has experienced some declines in attendance during recent years, car racing overall remains popular.
In a recent edition of Sports Illustrated (SI), Formula E, “a new racing series for electric cars” hopes to shepherd the sport into a more sustainable future. Arguing that it is sustainable at all is a bit of a stretch, but the current gas guzzling activity is entirely unsustainable.
Alejandro Agag is the CEO of Formula E Holdings, the company aiming to kickstart the electric racing circuit. Some major cities that once bemoaned the pollution have expressed interest in the all electric (at least race vehicles are electric) racing platform. According to the SI story, outgoing Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has lobbied Agag to bring the series to his city, citing the 121 charging stations as evidence of the city’s commitment to electrified transport.
A further indication of the LA connection, Agag announced from the city that the electric races will debut in 2014 with 10 stops on four continents.
As for the cars, the batteries will last 25 minutes and have a top speed of 170 mph, reaching 60 mph in 2.6 seconds. Because of the short battery life, races will be limited to an hour, require two cars, with two drivers per team, and two pit stops. Gentlemen, start your electric motors.
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