Vice Mayor Ms Cheng Hong officially welcomes Formula E to Beijing as host city.
BEIJING (June 1, 2013) – Vice Mayor Ms Cheng Hong today officially welcomed the FIA Formula E Championship to Beijing as one of 10 global cities to host the new fully-electric racing series, beginning in2014.
In front of more than 400 guests and selected media, the agreement was signed during the prestigious closing ceremony of the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) attended by the Vice Mayor together with Ms Qiu Hong, Assistant Minister of Commerce of China and Alejandro Agag, CEO of Championship promoter Formula E Holdings (FEH). Also present was Steven Lu, Team Principal of China Racing, one of two Formula E teams to have already committed to the Championship together with Team Drayson Racing, with each fielding two drivers as part of a 10 team line-up.
Beijing, the capital of the People’s Republic of China, joins a list of nine cities to be announced for the inaugural season – including London, Los Angeles and Bangkok – with the remaining city to be revealed shortly, ahead of the final calendar being presented to the FIA at the September 2013 World Motor Sport Council.
During the press conference, the Vice Mayor expressed her most sincere welcome for the FIA Formula E Championship adding: “Beijing is one of the leading cities in the world to promote electric cars and we would like to take this opportunity to showcase this to the world. The City of Beijing plans to have 50,000 electric cars on the streets by 2015, while across China the government has set a target of producing and selling 500,000 energy-efficient and alternative-energy vehicles per year by 2015, and five million vehicles by 2020.”
“We are honoured to be here today and very grateful to the Vice Mayor and to the Chinese authorities for their generous hospitality and enthusiastic welcome,” said Alejandro Agag. “With Beijing being one of the most populous cities in the world, it is the perfect place to highlight the benefits of zero emission electric cars and we’re delighted that Ms Cheng Hong shares this commitment – highlighted by the fact that the Formula E project was one of a select few out of thousands to gain her approval.”
Steven Lu added: “We are delighted to start this partnership with FEH for the coming Formula E Beijing race. Our experience and credibility will ensure the success of this green racing series in the capital of China. The support we’ve received from the Beijing Sports Bureau and the local ASN have given us even more confidence to deliver a world-class electric car championship in 2014. It will be our home race for the Formula E China Racing team and we will try to make local fans proud and excited about electric cars. I believe this is the best platform to promote electric vehicles in Beijing.”
Routes for the race are currently being finalised but as with all Formula E events, it will take place through the city streets, incorporating many of Beijing’s most iconic landmarks and providing a great spectacle for the people of China (see artist’s impression).
Source; Formula E News
