Formula E Electric Racing Takes To Las Vegas For Demo RunFormula E Electric Racing Takes To Las Vegas For Demo Run

If publicity is one of electric cars’ best assets, then the inaugural Formula E electric racing series has importance far beyond the frivolities of motor sport.
From September this year, the series will head to ten cities around the globe and prove that electric vehicles really can be exciting–and that reducing emissions can still mean raising heartbeats.
Spectators in Las Vegas have just had their first taste of the series with a demonstration run by Renault, one of the championship’s main sponsors and for the first year, Formula E’s sole vehicle.
The all-electric Spark-Renault SRT_01E made demonstration runs up and down the famous Las Vegas strip at the hands of Brazilian racer Lucas di Grassi, before moving on to Mandalay Bay in the heart of the city.
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The demo run coincides with the Consumer Electronics Show being held right now in Vegas, ensuring many of those lining the streets were of a tech-savvy nature–and illustrating how the worlds of electric vehicles and motorsport can converge.
Renault says it’s happy with the car’s development schedule so far, and its engineers will keep working with those from Spark, Dallara, McLaren, Williams and Michelin to further improve it before the first race in Beijing, China on September 13.
From there, the series heads to Putrajaya in Malaysia, Rio de Janeiro, Punta del Este in Uraguay, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, Miami, Monte Carlo, Berlin, and ends in London on June 27, 2015.
While all teams will use the Spark-Renault for the first season, there’s real variety in the competition. From automakers Audi and Mahindra to the famous Andretti Autosport, ten teams have signed up to compete in the first year, with two drivers and four cars each.
In upcoming years, those teams will design and develop their own vehices–and competition is likely to be fierce.
It remains to be seen how much of Formula E’s development will lead to better electric road cars, but by landing in some of the world’s biggest cities, it’s sure to raise awareness and bring exciting racing to the people.
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