Formula E Racing is coming to Tokyo

The “Electric F1”

Formula E is one of the four major championships sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) along with Formula 1 (F1), the World Rally Championship and the World Endurance Championship. As in F1, single-seaters are “formula cars” specially designed for racing that are “open-wheel, single-seater, open-cockpit cars”. Formula E cars are powered by an electric motor rather than an internal combustion engine and are therefore known as ‘F1 electric cars’.

As the entire world grapples with the question of how to achieve carbon neutrality as part of efforts to combat global warming, the motorsport world is also under pressure to find radical strategies to reduce its carbon footprint. Although efforts were made to reduce CO₂ emissions with the introduction of, for example, hybrid F1 cars with an engine and an electric motor, Formula E racing provided a new approach to the problem. The ‘e-Prix’ series, featuring car manufacturers from around the world including Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche, Audi, Jaguar and Maserati, started in 2014.

A Formula E race in Paris in 2018. A special track of around 2 kilometers was created around the Hôtel des Invalides. (© Federico Pestellini/Panoramic)

Nissan’s car for the 2023 season. The size of a Formula E car is almost the same as an F1 car. Unlike F1 cars, however, the chassis of all Formula E cars is manufactured by Spark Racing Technology, and each racing team provides the drivetrain, gearbox, converter and rear suspension. (© Nissan)

Zero Emissions

Tokyo Governor Koike Yuriko has described Formula E as a “symbol of zero-emissions initiatives”.

Tokyo is working towards the practical elimination of all CO₂ emissions by 2050. Two ways the metropolitan government is trying to achieve this goal are, firstly, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% (compared to the base year of 2000) by 2030; as well as ensuring that 100% of new vehicles (passenger cars) sold in Tokyo are EVs or alternative fuel vehicles (including hybrids, fuel cell vehicles and other types of vehicles that do not run on 100% gasoline) by same year. The Formula E Tokyo Race provides an opportunity to widely publicize these initiatives both in Japan and abroad.

Governor Koike said: “We hope that holding the Formula E race in the coastal area, while developing Tokyo into a next-generation sustainable city, will further promote the widespread use of zero-emission vehicles. At the same time, it provides us with a perfect opportunity to show the world what Tokyo has to offer and thus increase its global presence.”

The metropolitan government also decided to hold the Tokyo ZEV Action campaign when the Formula E Tokyo race was decided. On July 2, the cars set to compete in the race were displayed along Gyōkō-dōri, a street in the Marunouchi district of Tokyo, as part of a family-friendly opening event for the race.

Runners competing in Japan’s first public road race in Gōtsu, Shimane Prefecture on September 20, 2020. (Courtesy of A1 City Race Club; © Jiji)

Although the details of the city race’s route on Tokyo’s waterfront have not yet been revealed, it is likely to be a 3km route that passes near the Tokyo Big Sight, an international exhibition space that housed the press center for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympians.

The Kōtō waterfront area, which will be the location of the Tokyo Formula E race. The route will take runners around the Tokyo Big Sight. (© Pixta)

What makes Formula E Racing unique?

Although it’s called an ‘electric F1 race’, fans shouldn’t expect the kind of intensity they usually experience at an F1 race. Racegoers are not treated to the roar of F1 engines, considered by many to be the pinnacle of motorsport. Instead, there is only the electric whine of engines and the sound of tires on pavement. For this reason, some have likened it to “a large-scale version of a radio-controlled car race”.

The budget allocated to Formula E racing is significantly less than that required for F1 racing. According to the official website of Red Bull Racing, one of F1’s top teams, the average annual budget allocated to a Formula E team is €13 million—less than a tenth of the €145 million annual budget of a major team of F1.

The very concept of Formula E racing is completely different from that of F1 racing, which benefits from generous sums of money and technical know-how in its quest to create the fastest cars on earth.

The fact that Formula E cars produce less noise than F1 cars is a hidden benefit, however, as it means that races can be held in urban areas rather than suburban tracks, and that they can be held at night. In fact, Formula E races are held in major metropolitan areas such as Rome, New York, London and Paris. The FIA ​​has deliberately designed these differences into the two types of racing to ensure that both can co-exist and flourish.

In another attempt to emphasize the ecological benefit of the sport, Formula E cars are transported by ship rather than jumbo jet.

Formula E Pit Stops: Complete car swaps

F1 races are held over a minimum distance of 305 km (with the exception of the Monaco race of 260 km) and last between 90 and 120 minutes. In contrast, Formula E races follow a ’45 minutes plus one lap’ scheme. The maximum power output of a Formula E car is 200 kilowatts (270 hp, as opposed to over 800 hp in the case of F1). However, racers can increase their power output for limited periods of time during races using features known as “attack mode”, which provides an additional 25 kilowatts, and “fan”, which provides an additional 50 kilowatts. These additional functions are integrated into each team’s competitive strategy. The maximum speed of an F1 car is over 380 kilometers per hour, while Formula E cars exceed 280 kilometers per hour.

The differences in what happens during pit stops are also notable. In F1 races, pit crews chose from a total of seven types of tires — from hard, medium and soft to those designed for use in wet weather. In contrast, Formula E cars use only one type of tire to keep costs down. However, since a single charge is not enough for a car to complete an entire race (the battery capacity only covers about 25 minutes of racing), the racers swap cars during a pit stop halfway through the race.

Points to watch out for in the Tokyo race are which parts of the waterfront – a busy metropolitan logistics hub – will be closed, as well as the technical layout of the course, including fairways, chicanes and hairpins.

The Tokyo match will present operational difficulties such as the placement of “escape zones” on the sides of roads and other safety measures, as well as the locations of spectator seats. Despite these mundane challenges, the sight of racing cars roaring down coastal roads at speeds in excess of 200 kilometers per hour promises to be an experience few will soon forget. Motorsports fans will also enjoy easy access to the area by public transport (22 minutes from Shinbashi Station via the Yurikamome Line and 14 minutes from Ōsaki Station via the Rinkai Line).

Paddocks at the Paris Championship. The races are purposefully held in major global urban attraction destinations such as Paris, London and Rome in order to promote the wider use of electric vehicles. (© Federico Pestellini/Panoramic)

Provisional Formula E calendar for the 2024 season

January 13: Mexico City, Mexico

January 26, 27: Diriyah, Saudi Arabia

February 10: To be announced

February 24: To be announced

March 16: Sao Paulo, Brazil

March 30: Tokyo, Japan

April 13, 14: Rome, Italy

April 27: Monaco

May 11, 12: Berlin, Germany

May 25: To be announced

June 8: Jakarta, Indonesia

June 29: Portland, Oregon, USA

20 July 21: London, UK

(Originally published in Japanese. Banner photo: Formula E cars racing near the Eiffel Tower in Paris. © Reuters.)