Formula E and the future of global mobility

Formula E turned 10 this year – it’s not been a decade since the inaugural race, which took place in 2014, but since the series was conceived by Jean Todt, the president of the world governing body of motorsport, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), and Spanish businessman, Alejandro Agag. It gained world championship status in 2020. It was founded to

“race through the streets of the most iconic cities in the world - with a grid full of the best racing drivers and teams around - to show just what sustainable mobility was capable of, driving electric vehicles to the fore in the race for a better, cleaner future”.

Why was this new form of motor racing needed? Not including the fan impact of travelling, Formula One produces approximately 256,000 tonnes of CO2 a year, though the cars themselves only account for 0.7% of that total. It’s the global logistics operation which bears most responsibility, comprising 45% of emissions, along with the business travel required to put on the World championship, which makes up 27%. Formula One is doing its bit as well, in a bid to be Net Zero by 2030: in 2022, it is launching E10 fuel, which as the name suggests is 10% sustainable and non-fossil fuel based. Following the launch of its new power unit in 2025, it aims to develop a 100% sustainable fuel. While Formula One is routinely listed in the top ten most environmentally damaging sports, despite the reputation of the fans and the sport as gas-guzzling, it lags behind football, which as the biggest global sport has huge amounts of travelling fans – by train, boat, car, and plane.

But back to Formula E. Since 2018, all twelve teams have used the Spark SRT05e “Gen 2” car and the same 54 kWh battery, which has a power output of 250 kWh and a top speed of 174 mph.  Each team is allowed to build their own electric motor, inverter, gearbox and cooling system, which, along with the drivers, creates differentiation between the teams. A new Gen3 car will be introduced for the 2022/23 season, with a chassis and front axle built by Spark Racing Technology, a battery supplied by Williams Advanced Engineering, and all-weather tires incorporating bio-material and sustainable rubber provided by Hancock.

Nico Roseberg, Gen2 car, Berlin 2018. Photo: KAgamemnon/licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

In September 2020, Formula E became the first global sport to be certified with a net zero carbon footprint from inception. Obviously, it has sustainability running right through it, with a mission “to transfer technologies from the race track to road and inspire innovations to counteract the climate crisis”. A quick look at the website – linked above – shows a sport seriously committed to its role as a pioneer of clean mobility. There’s a lot more going on than just racing. They are pushing five factors that comprise the transportation of the future:

·         Electric: every car, boat, truck, train and plane

·         Clean: cells charged using renewable energy sources

·         Connected: safer roads with data sharing between vehicles

·         Shared: car sharing fleets and colleagues travelling to work together

·         Autonomous: self-driving cars promoting productivity

Along with this, they have a sustainability programme based on three pillars:

·         Events: delivering a sustainable event

·         Cities: having a positive impact upon host cities

·         Air: raising global awareness of air pollution and climate change

Finally, there is a sustainable development policy. Let’s go into a little more detail about each of the pillars.

In order to deliver a sustainable event, they promote recycling and waste reduction, measure and monitor their carbon footprint and drive sustainable solutions within the supply chain. Regarding the impact on the host cities, they promote year-long community engagement by working with local charities and stakeholders. They bring local community groups and schools to visit the event and learn about electric vehicles, their role in a sustainable future of mobility and the impact of inner-city air pollution. They also provide free or affordable access to the Allianz E-Village so local communities can experience the race through games and educational activities. Finally, they are helping in the fight against air pollution via their partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme, which is working “to raise awareness of the detrimental impact of air pollution and empower individuals, governments and private companies to take part in the fight” against air pollution.

As suggested by the quoted mission above, what is perhaps most important about Formula E is the path it creates from the high-end world of motor racing to the cars we all use – or will use in the future. They are arguing that they are creating

“a unique technological innovation environment for many of the world's leading automotive manufacturers including Jaguar Land Rover, DS, Mahindra, Porsche, Mercedes, Nissan and NIO to fast-track developments from racing to commercial use on the road”.

Formula E’s technological development during its life so far has contributed in no small way to “electric cars on the road today going further on every charge due to increases in energy efficiency, enhancements in battery range and advances in powertrain development”.

Indeed, they showcased their role in attempting to achieve the Paris Agreement’s reduction targets at the recent COP26 in Glasgow, where they were involved in a selection of events discussing the role sport is playing in speeding up the adoption of sustainable practices, lifestyles and electric vehicle innovation globally. As well as the net zero accolade mentioned above, Formula E is the only racing series to receive third-party ISO 20121 certification, which it did in 2016. At its most recent audit in 2020, Ana Inacio, the accreditation body’s auditor, said that

“Formula E has been embedding sustainability season-on-season - exploring new initiatives, engaging with local communities and suppliers, and applying robust impact assessments. It is taking the lead in sustainable motorsports and setting a new benchmark for the industry.” 

Furthermore, it has partnered with UNICEF’s Safe and Healthy Environment Fund to support three million children in climate resilience and create a sustainable, safe and clean environment and is phasing our single-use plastics.

All of this has been achieved without as yet turning a profit, which it almost did for the first time in 2019/20, losing just €38,514 before taxes during its sixth season, down from €10.6 million the previous year. This great result was achieved in the context of cancelled races and missing fans due to the Covid-19 pandemic; though revenue did drop, better sponsorship deals led to the reduced loss. Given it now has more manufacturers than any motor sport in the world – due to its low costs, along with its role in promoting the companies’ commercial electric cars – it is very likely that the sport will become profitable sooner rather than later, as well as being a key driver of electrification and sustainable mobility.