Spark-Renault SRT_01E, an all-electric racing car made its first public appearance in conjunction with the 2014 International CES.
Organizers of the FIA Formula E Championship, the first series exclusively for electric cars, gave racing enthusiasts the first glimpse of a fully-electric car in action at a makeshift racetrack in the south east parking lot behind the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. Brazilian driver Lucas di Grassi showed off the capabilities of the Spark-Renault SRT_01E.
Formula E first unveiled the new Spark-Renault SRT_01E at the 65th International Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2013. The SRT_01E has been designed and built by Spark Racing Technology, together with a consortium of the industry's leading manufacturers. The racing car will compete in the inaugural FIA Formula E Championship, which will be the world's first global electric race series.
The FIA Formula E Championship is slated to begin in September this year and runs through June 2015 on street courses in major world cities, including Beijing, London and Los Angeles.
The series is expected to have one-hour races and the car batteries can last up to 25 minutes at a time and drivers will have to switch cars during the race. There will be 10 teams participating in the series with two drivers in each team. Qualcomm is the founding sponsor of the circuit.
"Today is a very special landmark for the FIA Formula E Championship and I'm delighted to be sharing it with Qualcomm and all our partners," said Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag. "Since the FIA launched Formula E just over a year ago, the progress and interest in the series has been overwhelming. When we started we had no cities, no teams, no broadcasters and no car. Now we have all these things so to be able to showcase our new car to everyone involved, and of course the fans, is a very proud moment."
The Spark-Renault SRT_01E is expected to reach from 0 to 60 miles in just three seconds and can also reach 140 mph. The car can charge wirelessly by parking over a special mat.
Formula E suggests that the main aim of the SRT_01E is to achieve a balance between cost effectiveness and sustainability in electric motorsport industry. Formula E also hopes that the electric racing cars will be able to cope with the demands of racing entirely on city center circuits.
