What has been the best moment for you in these 3 years of Formula E?
The highlight was the second when the light turned green starting the first race in Beijing. It was the moment when everything became real. Since then, we’ve been working on something that was practically a dream. When we first started, it seemed almost impossible to achieve our goal and a lot of people thought we weren’t going to do it. But we did it when the light turned green and 20 cars started racing!
Every time we announce a partner, there is a new OEM (original equipment manufacturer) or a race start, it’s a great moment too. But nothing will ever beat the moment when the lights turned green and the cars started in Beijing.
What has been the most stressful moment?
One year, before the first race, a big manufacturer we had a deal with to make the batteries for the championship told us they could no longer deliver them. We thought that was the end of it, but we managed to find a solution with the Williams F1 Team. They delivered the batteries in record time. That was a stressful moment.
But the worst moments were when we were virtually bankrupt, and it happened a couple of times. However, both times, we managed to raise funds at the last second to continue working. Things are great now.
What is the driving force behind this project?
If a project doesn’t make economic sense, it won’t work. Today you need to consider profit and sustainability for each project; I don’t believe in separating these concepts. Sustainability cannot be achieved without economic sense.
“I’m convinced that our project is going to be very lucrative and at the same time sustainable as it’s doing something good for society. And because it’s doing something good for society, it’s going to be lucrative. It’s a virtuous circle.”
Let me give you an example: people will only buy electric cars when they are cheaper and better than conventional cars; that’s when people will buy them, not because they want to save the planet. It is unfortunate, but it is reality. The same with renewables versus coal. People will use them if they are cheaper than coal.
I thought that a green motor sport could have a great impact on technology and, at the end of the day, on people’s lives. That’s why, for me, it made sense to create this.
How can Formula E help develop and expand the market for electric vehicles?
In two ways. First, by making electric cars more familiar and popular with the public, especially children. Lots of children are watching electric car races now and once they’re 18, they might be more inclined to buy one.
Second, the technology around electric cars is really evolving and we are helping in the development of new techniques, products, etc. So, we are helping in innovation too.
It would be great if all cars in the world were electric, but to achieve that we need them to be cheaper, more efficient and with better technology.
Who are Formula E’s partners?
Allianz is one of them and together we co-created the Allianz Village. Enel is another and we collaborate on technology projects such as solar panels to feed the cars, mini grids, smart metres, etc. We want partners that share our vision.
What does Enel, your global power partner, bring to Formula E in terms of technology?
Since the cars are electric in Formula E, it was obvious that a good partnership would be with a utility company that produces and sells electricity. So, we partnered with Enel, a global utility company open to innovation.
We work on some technology projects with them. For one of them, we simulate a smart city of the future in small format and around the formula race. We can measure the use of energy, where it’s going, how it’s flowing, how it is being used, etc.
In the future, it will be important to know how and where electricity is being spent in cities. And electric cars will play a big role because they have rolling storage capacity.
What about your partnership with Allianz?
Formula E will not only be a race, but a whole vision of the future with particular innovation and technology related to mobility and cities. So together we created the Allianz E Village which is the fan zone. In this area we have the Explore Zone, where fans explore and experience the future – 3D printing, robots, drones, virtual reality, etc. We are co-creating future experiences.
Who goes to the Formula E races?
Formula E appeals to a new segment who want to explore the future. And it’s not a question of age, but of attitude and behaviour. We are living in the digital age and Formula E is the flagship digital sport.
Also, we get those who want to know how technology in the automotive industry is evolving. It is not only for people who like car races, but people who like technology, innovation, sustainability, the environment, etc.
Could you tell us about the Roborace?
The Roborace idea is a year and four months old. The concept came about during a flight from Beijing to London with some Russian entrepreneurs who were looking for a project to invest in. They were thinking of buying a Formula E team, but they didn’t have the racing experience. So as they wanted to do something very forward thinking, we came up with Roborace, a race with robots.
“Safety is the most important single issue in autonomous driving. 91 percent of accidents happen because of human errors and we can eliminate them.”
Cars are going to be autonomous and in 20 years, we may have only autonomous cars. So how are we going to test extreme conditions for autonomous cars? In a race, you are able to test them. To test safety systems, you’ve got to push the systems to the limit and this is possible with robot races. You can learn during robot races and then apply what you have learned to road cars.
Is Formula E attractive for car makers?
When we started four and a half years ago, electric cars were not so big. Tesla was making some, BMW had the i3, and the Nissan LEAF was around, but that was it. Now the motor industry has shifted in the direction of electric cars and all brands are announcing electric models now. Jaguar, Mercedes and even Porsche are going to manufacture electric cars.
Formula E is a good platform for all the car brands to showcase and test their technologies regarding electric cars.
How will the New York Formula E event this year raise the profile of the competition?
A lot. New York is for me the capital of the world. When I started Formula E, New York City was the first place I wanted to have the race in. There has never been a car race there. And we can race in New York because we are electric, otherwise the city would not have allowed us to race there. Same in Paris.
It took four years to find the location for the New York race: it is near the Statue of Liberty and downtown New York where the skyline is fantastic. We’re excited about this race; it’s going to be huge and contribute a lot to Formula E. We want to be in the main cities: New York, Paris, Hong Kong and London.
What is your vision for the future?
We are facing the last mobility revolution – from horse to combustion and from combustion to electric. In the future, every car will be electric and Formula E should be the main racing championship in the world where transfer of technology to regular electric cars will take place, to really make them fantastic.
We need to constantly increase the technology level of Formula E to transform the world of electric cars
