Are friends electric? They are for Michelin

ERJ staff report (TP)

London – A new series of high-speed electric car races in city centres around the world will aim to boost the market for battery-powered vehicles and advance the technology behind them, its backers said last week, reported Keith Weir for Reuters.

Formula E, which has the blessing of motor sport's FIA governing body, plans to stage its first race in Beijing next September and has signed up commercial partners including French car manufacturer Renault SA and tire maker Michelin.

Formula E Chief Executive Alejandro Agag said the excitement of cars racing at speeds of 220kph through the heart of cities including London, Miami and Los Angeles should help electric vehicles to shrug off an image problem and fine-tune their technologies.

Agag's ambitions were supported by a study from consultancy EY saying the races could help to boost electric vehicle sales by as much as 77m units over the next 25 years − a dramatic increase on current levels.

New York-based market research firm ABI for instance estimates global electric car sales will reach 150,000 this year and grow 48 percent annually to reach 2.3m in 2020.

Renault, which provides engines for F1 teams including the dominant Red Bull, will oversee the integration of the various systems, while Michelin supplies the tires.

Organisers see the 10-team series as complementary to F1, and Agag said he expected the races to appeal more to families, helped by the absence of the ear-splitting engine noise that is part of the Formula One experience. Tickets will be cheaper too. "We are Formula One fans so this isn't any kind of competition, but our price range is going to be lower."

Formula E has signed up Rupert Murdoch's Fox to broadcast its races in the United States and more than 80 other territories. Agag promised plenty of thrills and spills.

"We expect quite a few bumps, tires are very hard, with very early braking, and slippery circuits unknown to the driver."

Formula One is also aiming to make itself greener and more relevant to mainstream car making, thanks to rule changes next season that will involve smaller engines being introduced and less fuel consumed during races.

Vincent Carre, head of electric vehicles at Renault, said he believed the new races were a timely showcase.

"We need Formula E to explain to people that electric cars are for today not for tomorrow," Carre said, adding that more charging points should soon become available in major cities to help tempt motorists to buy the vehicles.

Renault and its partner Nissan Motor Co Ltd are global leaders in electric cars, but Renault Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn told the Financial Times this week that sales were four or five years behind target.

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Full story from Reuters