Formula E today revealed the exciting track route for the hosting of the inaugural Cape Town E-Prix
Formula E today revealed the exciting track route for the hosting of the inaugural Cape Town E-Prix.
The proposed race track has been designed for cars to race around the Green Point Park and Cape Town Stadium area during the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
‘This exciting international event will put Cape Town firmly on the global racing circuit, showcasing the city to audiences around the world. This will help bring more people to Cape Town, driving economic recovery and growth.
‘It will attract a new market of racing enthusiasts to visit Cape Town. Our city has a strong local racing community, and I know they’ll be thrilled with this event. There are so many benefits to bringing Formula E to our city. Hosting this global event will help Cape Town create job and business opportunities for residents and entrepreneurs,’ said Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis.
Economic benefits
‘The City’s contribution in preparing for this massive event will have extensive economic benefits. The Mother City is raring to host another world-class international motor sporting event. Cape Town has already shown its skill in hosting major international motor sporting events such as the FIA Rallycross Championship, the Extreme Festival National Championship at Killarney, as well as the annual Drift City at the iconic Grand Parade,’ said Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
Alberto Longo, Co-founder and Chief Championship Officer, Formula E, said: ‘We’ve had a very positive response within our ecosystem of teams, drivers and sponsors about coming to Cape Town, so we are delighted that the City is joining our Season 9 calendar. When I first met Iain Banner, Chairman of race promoter e-Movement (Pty) Ltd in 2019, he said that he was confident that Cape Town had the potential to be one of the top cities on our global calendar. This is my first visit to South Africa and having seen the amazing beauty of the Mother City, I feel confident that he is right. The support of Executive Mayor Hill-Lewis and Premier Alan Winde is important to us and I thank them for being a part of our journey in bringing the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship to Cape Town in 2023.’
Planning requirements
Much work has been put in over the last two and a half years to meet all of the requirements for the hosting of an event of this magnitude.
In early 2018, a consortium, E-Movement, that was interested in bringing Formula E to Cape Town, approached the City of Cape Town for support. Following lengthy discussions, a decision was made to undertake a feasibility study to determine whether it would be viable to host the event in Cape Town.
After this initial phase, it was recommended to Council on 19 August 2021. Council then subsequently approved the funds required for the road upgrades in the Green Point Precinct, where the Formula E is set to take place.
The upgrades, which will cost approximately R44 million, will provide a long-term benefit to residents and reduce the need for future budget allocation to perform routine maintenance and upgrades.
The civil engineering works required to realise the track layout is being funded through the City’s Urban Mobility Directorate, some of which had been transferred from projects that have either been completed or through savings on other projects.
Environmental sustainability
With Formula E’s cars running on 100 percent renewable energy and a major focus on developing alternative energy solutions, staging Formula E in Cape Town will assist the City in raising awareness of the adverse effects of air pollution.
The event will also include local communities and schools to educate them about electric cars, how they can contribute to a sustainable future of mobility and the impact of reducing inner-city air pollution.
Source: City Of Cape Town