May 23, 2014 — What has a top speed of 270 kilometers per hour (167 mph) and doesn’t use a single drop of gasoline or diesel? The new Spark-Renault SRT_01E race car. The supercharged, zero emissions electric vehicle was designed specifically for the inaugural Formula E race series. Launching this fall, Formula E will feature races through the streets of some of the world’s most iconic cities, including London, Buenos Aires and Los Angeles.
Speaking at the recent Fortune Brainstorm Green conference in Laguna Niguel, Calif., Formula E Holdings CEO Alejandro Agag said the series has several goals, including connecting race fans with environmental issues through sport and serving as a test bed for emerging electric vehicle technologies.
To overcome the fact that the cars can only run about 25 minutes on a single charge, Formula E races will include multiple drivers and cars on the same team. When asked what the cars sound like, Agag responded that the high-intensity buzzing from the pod race scene in “Star Wars: Episode I” is a good approximation.
The series kicks off Sept. 13, 2014, in Beijing. Photo courtesy of Formula E
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