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| Founder and CEO of Formula E Alejandro Agag, right, poses with Seoul E-Prix 2020 Organizing Committee Chairman Lee Hee-beom, second from right, and other members of the organizer at a press conference held at Hotel Shilla in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Formula E Korea |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
The ABB FIA Formula E Championship, the world's all-electric race series, will be held in Seoul for the first time on May 3, 2020, the organizing committee said Tuesday.
The electric racing series titled "Seoul E-Prix 2020" will be held in the middle of its sixth season in 13 locations across five continents, including Saudi Arabia, Chile, China, Germany and the U.S.
The Seoul event is likely to produce an economic effect of 400 billion won ($342 million) and create 2,800 new jobs, according to the organizer.
Unlike Formula 1, which requires construction of new tracks and emits ear-blasting engine noises, electric-powered cars will navigate street circuits near Jamsil Sports Complex in Seoul without producing much noise.
"Seoul is one of the liveliest cities in the world and has vast experiences of hosting international sport events," said Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Formula E.
"As Asia holds a dominant position in electric vehicle sales and related technologies, hosting the event in Seoul can show Korea's commitment to green mobility."
The Formula E explained that it decided to bring the event to Seoul to go in line with Korea's efforts to foster the electric vehicle (EV) battery sector as the nation's new growth engine.
Seoul E-Prix 2020 Organizing Committee Chairman Lee Hee-beom explained the reasons for holding the racing event in Seoul, citing that its main purpose is to tap into the future market.
"All-electric cars supplied with Korea's leading battery technology will become the nation's new growth engine in the near future. Electric cars can also tackle environmental issues like air pollution and fine dust," Lee said.
Regarding the event date planned for May 3, Lee said it is during Japan and China's Golden Week holidays, and thus expects to attract tourists from the neighboring countries.
According to the organizer, K-pop concerts as well as other electric vehicle events will take place to attract tourists and participants.
Top drivers from renowned electric car racing teams, such as Nissan e.dams, Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler and Envision Virgin Racing, will come to Korea.
While discussing features of Gen2, an electric car model to appear in the upcoming racing series, Agag said he wishes to change the perceptions of electric cars by showing them racing.
"Gen2 is a battery-powered electric car that can run twice the distance and store twice the energy using the same battery. The Gen2 battery last for about 45 minutes and its top speed reaches 280 kilometers per hour," Agag said.
