Jean Todt: the future seems to be electric © Sutton Images
FIA president Jean Todt has said he is working with the European Commission towards the establishment of a championship for electric cars, with the possibility of a Formula One-style series held at the major circuits.
Speaking to the Financial Times, Todt said he had set up an electric-car commission unit within the FIA, headed by Burkhard Goeschel, a former BMW director. He said that if all went well, the series could start as early as 2013.
"We want as soon as possible to have new categories with new energy," Todt told the newspaper. "As much as we can do it all over the world, we will do it."
He admitted frustration with the reluctance to embrace new technology. "The racing community are only interested in how to improve performance because they want to win," he said. "[Manufacturers] feel a strong interest to implement the technologies … which are not so obvious for the sporting community because it costs money and research and it doesn't improve performance, and I understand that."
"One of the priorities of my mandate is to give a concrete start to the ultimate conversion of the European car industry," Antonio Tajani, the EU's industry commissioner told the newspaper. He added he hoped the initiative would help promote consumer interest in electric vehicles.
Credit: ESPN F1 (en.espnf1.com)
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