Formula E Back in the Big Apple on Streets of Manhattan to Open New York Auto Show
Panasonic Jaguar Racing driver Nelson Piquet Jr. leads electric vehicle parade in Formula E car to launch NYIAS
‘I love this city and I have enjoyed the opportunity to promote electric vehicles like the new Jaguar I-PACE and launch the race returning to Brooklyn. New York is the perfect place for the finale of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship in July.’
Nelson Piquet Jr.
Panasonic Jaguar Racing
NEW YORK CITY, USA (March 31, 2018) – Formula E hit the streets of the Big Apple to launch this year’s edition of the New York International Auto Show, marking the first time the official championship car has run on the roads of Manhattan ahead of the Qatar Airways New York City E-Prix on July 14 & 15 – the final two rounds of the 2017/18 ABB FIA Formula E Championship.
The fully-electric Formula E car led a fleet of electric vehicles along 11th Ave. to the Javits Center on the west side of New York with season one champion and Panasonic Jaguar Racing driver Nelson Piquet Jr. behind the wheel.
Running parallel to the Hudson River and the backdrop of Midtown Manhattan and the Empire State Building, the parade also featured the Jaguar brand’s first all-electric vehicle – the Jaguar I-PACE performance SUV.
The Jaguar I-PACE will arrive at retailers later this year. A modified race-ready version is set to make its debut in a new all-electric support series alongside races in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship next season – titled the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY.
The ABB FIA Formula E Championship is returning to Red Hook in Brooklyn for the second time after the inaugural event last summer, where Formula E made history with the first FIA-sanctioned single-seater race taking place within the five boroughs of New York City in modern history.
As part of a long-term vision to make the Brooklyn waterfront Formula E’s home in New York, the cars will navigate a slightly different route this year – with an extension to the track in a bid to cater to the next generation of faster and more efficient cars next season, together with adding further overtaking opportunities.
Subject to new track homologation, instead of taking the sharp hairpin at Turn 6 the drivers will now tackle a left-right complex at the North end of the circuit – adding four extra corners and lengthening the track to 1.52-miles (2.45-km).
Tickets for the season finale of the 2017/18 ABB FIA Formula E Championship in New York go on sale next week on April 3. Grandstand tickets are priced at $85 per day or $150 for a combined weekend ticket. Children aged 12 and under can enter for free and students can watch all the action from $55 per day or $95 for both races.
Fans attending the New York Auto Show this weekend can purchase tickets early by using a promotion code available at the dedicated Formula E stand at booth 1522 on level 1.
Don’t miss the chance to witness the title-decider and the champion being crowned – as well as catching a last glimpse of history, with the swansong of the current iteration of Formula E cars in the heat of battle before the introduction of the Gen2 model for next season.
Nelson Piquet Jr, Panasonic Jaguar Racing driver, said: “To be the first to drive the Formula E car on the streets in Manhattan has been a lot of fun. I love this city and I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to promote electric vehicles like the new Jaguar I-PACE, our first all-electric performance SUV, and launch the race returning to Brooklyn. The new track layout will make the racing more competitive and New York is the perfect place for the finale of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship in July. I’m looking forward to fighting for more points for Panasonic Jaguar Racing and racing to the flag in my all-electric Jaguar I-TYPE 2.”
For more information and to buy tickets for the remaining races, visit – www.FIAFormulaE.com
About the ABB FIA Formula E Championship:
The ABB FIA Formula E Championship is the electric street racing series and the world’s first fully-electric international single-seater category in motorsport. Formula E brings electrifying wheel-to-wheel action to some of the world’s leading cities, racing against the backdrop of iconic skylines such as New York, Hong Kong, Paris and Rome.
The inaugural season of Formula E sparked into life in September 2014 around the grounds of the Olympic Park in Beijing. The fourth edition of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship will see 10 teams and 20 drivers compete in 10 cities spanning five continents in the fight to be crowned champion. Hong Kong hosted the season-opener over the course of two days on December 2 & 3, with the championship coming to a close in New York in July.
Formula E is more than just a race to be the best – it’s a competitive platform to test and develop road relevant technologies, helping refine the design and functionality of electric vehicle components and speeding-up the transition and uptake of clean transportation on a global scale.
For this season, more manufacturers have joined the electric revolution with reigning champion Lucas di Grassi looking to defend his title for the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler team. More big-name manufacturers have also committed to race in Formula E – including BMW and Nissan in tandem with the new-look car and battery in season five, along with Mercedes-Benz and Porsche who also plan to join the following year.
Follow Formula E:
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About ABB:
ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally. Continuing a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalisation with two clear value propositions – bringing electricity from any power plant to any plug and automating industries from natural resources to finished products. As title partner of Formula E, the fully-electric international FIA motorsport class, ABB is pushing the boundaries of e-mobility to contribute to a sustainable future. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 135,000 employees. www.abb.com
Title, Global and Official Partners
Sources: ABB Formula E Championship PR