FEBRUARY | PREVIEW
ExCeL-erating O
the Formula
The atmosphere in London is going
to be electric as the capital’s largest
venue is transformed into the world’s
first indoor racetrack this summer.
Words by Saul Leese
12
ver 60,000 people are expected
to attend the ABB FIA Formula
E Championship which will be
held for the first time at ExCeL London
on 25-26 July. The Dockland’s venue will
close for two days while drivers negotiate
19 corners around 2.4km indoor/outdoor
track.
Formula E is expected to give F1 a run
for its money, as global demand increases
as more and more car manufacturers
turn to electric powered vehicles. BMW,
Mercedes, Nissan, Audi, Porsche and
Jaguar will field cars that accelerate from
0-100km/h in just 2.8 seconds.
Formula E promotes electric mobility
and alternative energy solutions by
raising the profile of electric powered
cars as a viable alternative to fossil
fuelled vehicles. It’s also a location with
greater meaning as Newham has been
named as the worst location in the UK
for air pollution, with seven in every 100
deaths of people aged 30 or over being
attributed to air pollution, according to
Public Health England.
Formula E is more than just a race,
it’s also a proving ground and platform
with a higher purpose – to test new
technologies, drive development to the
production line and put more electric
cars on the road. It also dispels the myth
that electric cars are boring.
Using the spectacle of sport, the ABB
FIA Formula E Championship is sending
a powerful message to speed-up the
switch to electric vehicles, in a bid to
counteract climate change and address
the devastating effects of air pollution.
Air pollution kills more globally than
smoking: the WHO estimates that 8m
die from air pollution each year.