Bertrand Piccard expresses support for Formula E

Initiator and Pilot of Solar Impulse, Bertrand Piccard, publically announced his support for Formula E at the Supercharged show this week.

He welcomed the all-electric car race series and cited them as a leader in raising awareness about electric cars and in showing that they can be as practical and quick as fuel-powered cars.

Supercharged Presenter, Nicki Shields, said: "Formula E is for car racing, what Solar Impulse is for aviation... It's a new laboratory showing how clean technology can be sexy. It's not anymore about something that is boring and expensive; it's something that really attracts the awareness of people. It's spectacular."

The Solar Impulse 2, piloted by Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, completed the first solar-powered circumnavigation of the world last summer.

The solar plane was equipped with 17,000 solar cells and four batteries which were powering four engines.

Bertrand Piccard said: "It feels like science fiction... You look at the sun and you look at your four electric motors turning the propellers and you have no noise, no pollution, no fuel and you know you can fly forever ... it's the wonders and miracles that clean technologies can achieve."

Solar Impulse launched a new foundation at COP22 in Marrakech last month, called the World Alliance of Clean Technologies.

Piccard said: "The next project is really for the years to come is my dedication to The World Alliance of Clean Technologies that I'm creating now... For me, this is the real accomplishment of the Solar Impulse project. It was my goal of what I initiated with this project - to have a credible tool to encourage solar and clean technologies."

The next Formula E ePrix will be held in Buenos Aires on 18 February, as part of the third round of the 2016-2017 world championship, which opened in Hong Kong and Marrakech to finish next summer in Montreal and New York for the first time.

The sport is raising awareness of the power of electric cars and aims at convincing car owners to switch to electric vehicles.

Piccard concluded: "This is the future of car racing. People are starting to get fed up now of cars that make so much noise, so much pollution. You have to go into the future, not into the past."

These topics will be covered further at Sustainable Innovation in Sport – a two day meeting bringing together stakeholders and influencers who are engendering positive environmental impacts through sport, on the 22-23 February 2017.  For more information and to register, visit the website by clicking here