When the world's largest oil exporter signs a deal to host the world's top electronic motor race, one can tell that the future of the sport is only going to get bigger and better. More than 40,000 motorsport fans watched in December last year as Portuguese driver António Félix da Costa won the Formula E season opener in Saudi Arabia's UNESCO World Heritage Site of Diriyah on the outskirts of Riyadh. This year, double that figure are expected to turn up in Diriyah for an action-packed double-round of speed and thrill when the sixth season of the all-electric car race series gets under way on Nov. 22 and 23. While electric vehicles (EV) are not seen quite often every day now, the landscape will be different in the not too distant future as an estimated 125 million EVs will be driven all over the world by 2030, up from just three million in 2017. The jump is gigantic and so is the growth in the technology behind EVs and the number of makers embracing them. It was only natural for motorsport to take note of that trend, and that is precisely what happened in 2014 when Formula E, a race for open-cockpit single-seater cars fully powered by electricity, made its debut as the first of its kind. Here is why Formula E is the future of motorsport, why it can play a key role in turning our roads green and why fans should get excited about Season 6 of the sustainable race that starts in Diriyah on Nov. 22 and 23: 1. Most futuristic race Formula E grips the future of driving by bringing people tangibly closer to how their cars might look like in 10 years in terms of the green technology running them, and which makers might be manufacturing the vehicles. Less than a month ago Jaguar introduced its Vision Gran Tourismo, the first virtual all-electric sports car For car makers, Formula E is like a lab where they do the research and experiment with new technologies that shape the future of electric cars before rolling them out to customers. By 2030, 24 European cities, including Paris, Madrid, London and Rome will have banned all diesel cars, and 13 of them will have banned internal combustion vehicles. As the only single-seater electric racing series, Formula E is an ideal spot to show what the future of the industry looks like. 2. Pitching green racing to the right audience Formula E is the perfect stage for electric car manufacturers to showcase the advancements made in the industry. Watch Formula E now and you get a chance to see how motorsport can look like in a few years. With supporters of clean energy flocking to watch the green race around the world, Formula E presents this clean energy to the proper audience and, hence, encourages more adoption of electric cars. It shows motorsport enthusiasts that the thrill of racing and speed can go hand in hand with preserving the environment, keeping pollution from gas emissions at bay and making our planet safe for generations to come. After all, seeing is believing! 3. Speed...speed...speed! Motorsport is all about speed and that is exactly what fans will get from Formula E now more than ever. With the introduction of the significantly faster Gen2 car, Formula E drivers can now complete the full distance of the race at high speed without having to swap cars mid-race. Gen 2 increased the vehicle's total power from 200 kW to 250 kW, meaning that the car can now accelerate from 0-100 km/h in just 2.8 seconds and can reach a maximum speed of 280km/h. The new car, which boasts almost double the energy storage of Gen1 made its Formula E debut in the 2018/19 season and will be on the circuit for the coming two editions until its scheduled upgrade to Gen3 in 2022. 4. More makers throwing their hat into the ring As more car makers realize the potential of electric car racing and the booming growth in its popularity, an increasing number of manufacturers are embracing Formula E, which is evident in the announcement by Mercedes-Benz and Porsche will be competing in the race from the 2019/20 season. With the addition of the two German giants, the number of cars and drivers on the grid of Diriyah circuit will increase to 24. 5. Taking fan engagement to the next level In the current world of sharing where fans want to make a difference and influence what they follow, Formula E stands out as the pioneer in motorsport thanks to its Fanboost competition. The unique feature allows Formula E fans to play a part in deciding the outcome of the race as they vote for their favorite driver to award them an extra boost of power that they can use in a five-second window during the second half of the race. The other tactic that Formula E has used since its inception in 2014 to engage with fans is to take the action to them. Races take place on normal streets in the heart of some of the world's biggest and busiest cities, and the absence of loud noise and pollution makes it possible. 6. Everyone is the underdog...everyone is the favorite Formula E is as competitive as a motorsport race gets. Over the 13 rounds of season 5, nine different drivers and eight different teams won races. Neither the winning driver nor team were decided until the final race of the season. Racing teams use the same battery and tires and they have same amount of power. Hence, the team with the right strategy and best racing driver as well as able to manage the battery's energy is the one likely to win, and the field is open with essentially everyone standing an equal chance to win. In addition, the fact that the single-seater racing series is contested on city center roads adds an element of challenge to the drivers and excitement to fans. — SG
