Get ready Cape Town, it’s been confirmed that the Mother City is set to host its first ABB FIA Formula E World Championship E-Prix in 2023.
Formula E and e-Movement (Pty) Ltd came to an agreement that due to the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the inaugural Cape Town E-Prix is set to be staged in Season 9, rather than season 8 as originally intended, and signalling the start of the five-year commitment to host E-Prix in Cape Town.
e-Movement (Pty) Ltd and Formula E entered into a multi-year agreement to host the world’s only all-electric FIA World Championship in 2021 and remain committed to delivering a world-class event.
As part of their vision, there will be a number of key moments in 2022 that includes the track reveal and an e-Investment seminar to map out a 10-year programme of strategies to drive the e-mobility economic sector and the positive effects on climate change.
Co-founder and Chief Championship Officer of Formula E Alberto Longo said, “While we are of course disappointed to postpone our first race in Cape Town, we have received a hugely positive response from those in our ecosystem, all of which are excited to visit. Over the past 18 months we have learnt to be dynamic and flexible when delivering the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and we look forward to working alongside our local partners to experience Cape Town when delivering its maiden race in 2023.”
Iain Banner, the Chairman of race promoters e-Movement (Pty) Ltd, said: “We have signed a long-term agreement with Formula E to stage the Cape Town E-Prix and look forward to delivering a marquee event for many years to come. The race will be the highlight and focal point of a weeklong programme of activities that is intended to showcase the potential of electric vehicles by way of an e-Mobility Festival. As part of this we will also stage an e-Invest Summit to attract global investors and match them with investment opportunities that exist in Cape Town and South Africa at large in the green economy.”
“Bringing the Formula E to South Africa has always been part of a broader vision to accelerate the transformation of the Cape and South Africa into an innovation hub that can drive the renewable energy and mobility transition across the continent and make sure it remains relevant and positioned to thrive over the next 50 years. “We need to contribute to job creation, skills transfer and help grow the economy. These are important, purpose-led, legacy initiatives that we can implement via hosting a round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship,” continued Banner.
In the same vein, Cape Town Mayor Dan Plato said, “When we evaluated Formula E, we found that it fits the City of Cape Town’s objectives including job creation, entrepreneurial opportunities for locals, destination marketing and massive economic impact. The City of Cape Town views Formula E as one of the key events that could go a long way in being catalyst in the long-term recovery as well as the sustainability of the events and tourism industries. We are committed to working with e-Movement to ensure that Cape Town is ready to host this exciting race event in 2023.”
“LCSE is extremely proud to be delivering an event of this calibre to the South African public. Plans are well underway for us to host the maiden race here, and we are working closely alongside the City of Cape Town and Formula E Operations delivery teams to deliver a prestigious, world-class spectacle of motor racing like never seen before in our city,” said Bruce Parker-Forsyth, Managing Director of the local delivery agency of the event Live Company Sports and Entertainment.
Picture/s: Supplied
