The FIA Formula E Championship, the world’s first fully-electric racing series, has once again broken new ground by running its car on the Arctic ice cap.
With the earth experiencing the warmest year on record, the amount of sea ice breaking away from the Arctic has reached historic new levels. To raise awareness of this crucial and pressing issue, Formula E joined forces with Julius Baer, Visa, DHL, Schaeffler, The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and Mumm Champagne House to bring this spectacular event to life.
The zero-emission racer was driven on the ice cap by adventurous race-winning Formula E driver, Lucas di Grassi.
The seemingly impossible act was captured in a series of impactful short films that will draw the world’s attention to the escalating threat posed by the melting of the ice cap to global sea levels.
The stunning exhibition is a continuation of Formula E’s commitment to showcasing the ability of electric car technology to act as a key part of a more sustainable future, and play a vital role in tackling climate change.
The event was only possible due to the co-operation and assistance of the Greenland government and its desire to raise awareness of a need for action on climate change. In order to learn more about the effects of the melting ice cap, Formula E has teamed up with Southampton University, and during the trip a tracking beacon was placed upon an iceberg that had broken away from the ice sheet.
This will help to advance the research into the behaviour of these ice sheets in the open ocean, and the tracking device will allow climate scientists and fans alike to understand more about the graceful journey they undertake as they return back to the sea.
A special 48-minute documentary looking at every aspect of how the event was put together has been commissioned and will be premiered at COP22, which takes place in Marrakesh, Morocco on November 13 this year. Formula E will also be in the North African country at the same time for the inaugural Marrakesh ePrix.
