Cape Town – Just one week shy of the first-ever ABB FIA Formula E Cape Town E-Prix on February 25, South African-born Jaguar Racing team director James Barclay said Formula E played a key role in advancing electric technology for car consumers.
“One of the objectives of Formula E is to advance sustainable human progress through the power of electric racing.
“The technical regulations are designed so that we focus our investment and resources on the rapid developing of electric vehicle power trains,” he said.
The competition will include local communities and schools to educate them about electric cars, how they can contribute to a sustainable future of mobility and the impact of reducing inner-city air pollution.
It also features six South African universities, providing a platform for student engineers to experience, build and learn.
“So rather than aerodynamics, and having cars that look different, in this generation it’s about focusing our investment on the power train. And at the event in Cape Town you’ll see the most advanced electric cars in the world.
“This is a real technical test bed for electric vehicle technology,” said Barclay.
“When you’re trying to race 22 other drivers, 11 teams, six manufacturers all of the highest standard, you have to push the boundaries like nothing else ... we are finding every area of efficiency, every area of performance to beat world-class competitors.”
As part of the greater transport logistics around the event, race promoter e-Movement has also announced Uber as an official transport partner to the event, and an official partner to E-Fest.
Cape Times