The historic seven-race green motorsport series, the EV Cup, will include two principle classes of zero emission electric cars – the City EV cars, where drivers will compete in carbon-free, race-prepared, urban THINK cars, and the Sports EV class, which will feature teams racing 185km/h Westfield iRacers. A third category, the Prototype EV class, will not feature races, but rather will base its results on time trials which showcase the latest non-production electric vehicles on circuits through street and race courses.
Models of the THINK City EV Cup Edition and the Westfield iRacer are on display at the International Autosport Show.
Planned races in the EV Cup are being staged in the UK, Portugal, Spain and the United States, with a city street race also expected to take place in the near future. Several tracks and dates in the UK have already been confirmed, including Silverstone on 6 August, Snetterton on 20 August, Rockingham on 10 September and Brands Hatch on 23 October. Each race day will include qualifying rounds and all car batteries will be recharged at on-site facilities. Each sprint race will be contested over 20 to 30 minutes of competitive laps.
"The electric car is already changing the world and soon will begin to revolutionise the face of traditional motorsport across the world, by embracing the issues of the day, from straightforward zero emissions to eco-friendly cars, sustainability and corporate social responsibility," said Sylvain Filippi, Director of the EV Cup. "We believe that the commercial world will take notice, when they begin to recognise a new opportunity to partner with a new and exciting sporting event like the EV Cup and add significantly to their sustainability credentials. We are creating an opportunity for the EV manufacturers and suppliers to promote their technologies in a new and exciting way. Green motor sport is a reality."
The EV Cup will have access to CAA Sports’ global resources and expertise, to create innovative opportunities for the circuit across a wide array of areas, including corporate partnerships, business development, brand marketing, event management, and media advisory, among others.
"The EV Cup is a ground-breaking concept that creates unique marketing and sponsorship opportunities for major brand advertisers, through social responsibility programmes and other marketing initiatives," said Peter Kenyon of CAA Sports.
"We look forward to using our resources across the globe in sports and entertainment to help build the EV Cup into a premier racing series and valuable advertising platform."
CAA Sports represents more than 650 of the world’s leading athletes and sports personalities, including Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho; Cristiano Ronaldo; four of the world’s top-ten-ranked men’s tennis players; international golf legends Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus; top US athletes, including LeBron James and Derek Jeter; and five-times reigning NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, among many others. In addition, CAA won highly-coveted global assignments with the New York Yankees and Madison Square Garden, to bring to market major long-term corporate partnerships for the new Yankee Stadium and the soon-to-be-renovated Garden, the world’s most famous arena.
Former Formula One British champion Damon Hill is a supporter of the EV Cup. "I think the time is fast approaching when we will have to rethink our expectations regarding private road transport generally. The advantages of electric vehicles in urban environments are too many to miss. Less noise and less direct pollution are just two. The race is to save the planet from us!
"Racing electric vehicles should convince the wider public of their potential. Racing was initially used to develop and prove a new product called the motor car. I see no reason why electric vehicle development will not benefit in the same way. Who knows what is ultimately possible?"
Ben Collins, who appeared in the popular television series Top Gear as The Stig, who will attend the launch and who plans to be a regular EV Cup driver, said: "Electric Vehicles represent a new dawn in motoring, by running on clean energy that can be sourced as locally as organic sausages. It’s surprising that mankind has taken so long to embrace the technology.
"Motorsport still offers the purest research and development platform to deliver the true potential of electric power and dynamic energy recovery, perhaps to a level that will shame the carbon combustion engine the way rubber tyres did the wooden cartwheel. EV is developing fast and the current crop of road cars are superb to drive. With a dedicated racing series which encompasses both road and racecar development, the next steps will be more like a quantum leap."
CAA Sports represents more than 650 of the world’s best athletes in sports such as baseball, football, hockey, basketball, soccer, tennis and golf, in addition to coaches, on-air broadcasters and sports personalities. Beyond traditional athlete representation, CAA Sports provides unique opportunities for clients off the field, in areas including licensing, endorsements, speaking, philanthropy and video games.
CAA Sports also works in the areas of broadcast rights, corporate marketing initiatives and sports properties for sales/sponsorships. CAA Sports is a division of Creative Artists Agency (CAA), the world’s leading full-service agency. CAA represents the most creative and successful artists working in film, television, music, theatre and video games, and provides a range of strategic marketing services to corporate clients.
Electric Vehicle Cup (EV Cup) presents the world’s first ‘green’ motor racing series based totally around zero-emission electric cars, providing the platform for sustainable motor sport.
