Why do we race cars? To see who can build the best one. To develop new technology that can be applied in everyday life. To see what incredible new innovations we can come up with.
What do we want out of these innovations? Sustainability. Clean air. Resources that won't run out.
Enter the FIA Formula E championship.
Things are changing in the automotive industry. Some people, myself included, exuberantly support this new leaning toward clean, renewable energy, but even those who don't must recognize that it is inevitable. No matter your conclusion on climate change or any other environmental issue, the fact stands that fossil fuels will run out. Period. And we have to be ready for that. The FIA, having recognized this, predicts that electric cars will play a significant role in future modes of transportation.
The beauty of the Formula E championship is that it will do exactly what racing was originally intended to do: stimulate progress. Remember when the car, rather than the driver, was the star of the show? In racing's early days, the question was how to build a fast, reliable car. Now that we've effectively done that (though we will always strive to go faster), the question is how to build a clean car. Formula E will be the very first series to attempt to provide an answer. The FIA identifies battery life and efficiency as specific breakthroughs that must be made.
Formula E is truly the series of the future. Not only is it intended to develop green technology, it also works toward a cleaner earth in general, and thus, a better quality of life. As a motorsports enthusiast and an environmentalist, and I must say I am hardcore in both respects, this is a dream come true. I remember an episode of Wind Tunnel a few years ago that featured Tommy Kendall talking about green racing. He was asked if the end of fossil fuels meant the end of racing, and he replied that he believed the opposite. He said the concept of green racing could take the sport to a whole new level. This has been my greatest hope ever since.
The official calendar will not be confirmed until the December 2013 FIA World Motor Sport Council, but as of now, the series will compete in ten cities worldwide from September 2014 to June 2015. Ten teams will compete, each with two drivers, running Spark-Renault SRT_01E single seaters. This car is designed to be sustainable, (relatively) cheap, and to run exclusively on street courses.
Do I have a lot of hope for Formula E? Yes. Could it fail? Absolutely. But the idea has been realized, and that is a victory in itself. This is the kind of forward thinking we need to prepare ourselves for the future. This series may be the first of its kind, but I believe (and hope) it will not be the last.
