Could Formula E Help Save the Planet?

The legacy of Formula E could have more far reaching effects than simply pioneering electric racing. The Guardian published a story on Sunday to report that we could face our next mass extinction event in as little as three human lifetimes.

Harrowing news indeed, especially when this can be attributed to the extinction of other species due to diminishing habitats in part to pollutants found in the environment.

Motorsport is dirty and damaging to the environment; but it is getting greener. Cars are adopting hybrid power as a means of propulsion, and teams, such as McLaren, are completely carbon neutral. But these sports still need hydrocarbons in some form to put on the show; whether that includes the use of fuel at the track, or the freighting the cars, teams, and personnel around the world. Not to mention the cost of fuel getting the fans to the venue, many of which situated in rural areas away from most infrastructure.

Formula E Doing Its Part

The FIA originally created Formula E to improve electric cars and to demonstrate that racing can be green or greener at least. I believe that Formula E is the greenest form of Motorsport on the planet at the moment. There are many reasons to argue why this is the case.

The cars are fully electric powered and emit zero emissions. They're at the height of electronic driving technology developed by some of the finest engineering organisations on the globe. There are concerns over the fact that two cars are needed which will negate the benefits through the extra freight needed. Put simply, the technology isn't quite there yet. But it will be as development regulations are opened up further.

It has also been mentioned that electronic and hybrid car batteries are difficult to dispose of, but so long as this is done in a reasonably safe way, this shouldn't be an issue.

Bringing Racing to You

Due to the ePrix events being located in cities, the sport is essentially brought to the people. This is a stark contrast to other prebuilt, dedicated circuits that are usually located in rural areas (look at Silverstone, Spa, Hockenheim). These traditional-type circuits, whilst important for heritage, can be difficult for fans to get to without transportation. Having races held in the streets of city centres would make travelling to the event easier and less damaging to the environment. The public transportation infrastructure already exists which would reduce the need to use personal vehicles.

Versatile Rubber

A single tyre type is used for all weather conditions which reduce on the amount of freight needed. At the moment, each driver receives five sets (where at least one front and one rear tyre used has to come from the previous event). But Alejandro Agag has stated previously that he would like to see a single set of the Michelin supplied rubber last the entire season in the future.

Renewable Power

Formula E uses advanced glycerine generators to charge the cars during an ePrix event. These generators use the pollution-free fuel that is water-soluble and is created from renewable sources. The fuel is a replacement for diesel and is so safe you can drink it. In the future we could see this fuel as a viable replacement for oil-based products.

Back in March, the Miami ePrix was completely powered by solar energy. Florida Power and Light partnered with Formula E to ensure that every car was charged using solar energy. If this technology can be tapped in to, could we see cars charged on the fly? Or at least components on the cars powered, such as LCD screens, computers, radios, etc.

Future-proofing Motorsport

It might be dramatic and romantic to suggest that a form of motor racing can change the world so drastically, but it proves that Formula E is making the necessary steps to make motor sport greener whilst keeping the very essence of motor racing alive.

Whilst Formula 1 and WEC might be considered testbeds for motoring technology, it is Formula E that should be seen as a platform for improving renewable energy technology.

Many critics have suggested that electric cars are the wrong solutions to our problems. At the moment, they are. They’re impractical, expensive, and require specialist knowledge to maintain. But this could have been said for the internal combustion engine when it was first invented.

Formula E will improve electric car technology. Motor racing is about the brightest minds finding the fastest and the most efficient way to win, hence why new technology is invented seemingly every year. This could be enough to ensure that we’re not using hydrocarbons and instead caring for our planet with renewable fuel. I just hope that this environmental revolution comes quickly enough.

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