Formula E and teams try to create change, but does it cut through?
Formula E is back in the capital this weekend and a number of teams are looking at how they’re promoting sustainability. Here’s our view.
Usually when you walk into the ExCeL centre in east London’s Docklands you’re met with what can only be described as one of the most barren exhibition centres in existence.
But walking through the usually gargantuan space of complete emptiness this weekend, you’ll be met with anything but.
So, Formula E…
Formula E needs to make noise
You know, the all-electric racing series attempting to hold its own in a motorsport calendar dominated globally by Formula 1 and in North American by the likes of Nascar and IndyCar?
So what’s the point? Well Formula E believe that their mantra is to enlighten the world on the journey and drive – no pun intended, well maybe one pun intended – towards an environmentally conscious future. Admirable.
But the racing discipline has struggled to get that message across. Whether it’s the backing of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, team links to coal-burning China, or the gas guzzling tour of the globe that the series takes across its 17 races, there just hasn’t been the cut through.
Hawaii in Formula E?
Strolling down the pit lane on Thursday afternoon though, past household – albeit unaffordable – brands such as McLaren, Maserati and Jaguar, what can only be described as a heap of junk appeared in the distance.
Beautiful, organised junk; the weirdly desirable Hawaiian shirt down at the local market.
Because attracting attention outside of the Envision Racing garage was a Formula E car made entirely of waste; electricals otherwise destined for landfill.
There were a few clever touches: MacBooks on the nose and games consoles as side panels.
But it was the single-use vapes which made up the front wing that made the passing rubberneckers take notice – a reminder of how times have changed, from playing tag in the local park to waste an afternoon a decade ago to sucking on a disposable battery to pass the time these days.
The world is changing
The world is changing and it’s clear we need to change with it. And while discussions on the climate and its developing impact on us as a civilisation have been weaponised by politicians and pressure groups, we can all agree that the natural resources themselves are being diminished with every new purchase we make.
“Alongside testing new battery technology for cars, we are on a mission to tackle e-waste and ensure the precious metals, minerals and materials in old laptops, mobile phones and other electrical devices are extracted and reused,” Sylvain Filippi, Envision Racing’s managing director, said of the project.
Sometimes it’s worth gauging the thoughts of people not there though, outside of the bubble of motorsport and journalism. “Cool”, “weird as f**k” and “eh?”, were the first three responses. Mixed reviews, then.
But the point is this: there’s less and less gold for us to use in our smartphones, lithium reserves are diminishing and mining the nickel we use for electric batteries pollutes the atmosphere.
We all need to be better, sure, and this car shows how we’re often a wasteful society who prioritise what we want rather than what we need.
Is this the answer? Well, maybe. But again there’s a question of whether there will be enough cut through. That’s for you to judge.
Does this project make you care more? Are you putting down that vape or keeping that iPhone for a year longer? Let us know. Then we will have an answer.