formula e

UK start-up Aquafuel Research is to power next year’s Formula E racecars with electricity generated from glycerol-fuelled combined heat and power (CHP) generators.

Aquafuel Research’s modified diesel-engined CHP generators to combust glycerine, produced from salt-water algae. The generated electricity will be used to recharge the electric racecars.

"It's a very innovative compound. It comes from algae so it's a first generation compound and it uses glycerine so it has no CO2 emissions, no smoke, no noise, no smell,” said Formula E's sustainability manger Julia Pallé.

As the technology is new, the generators will have to travel to every nine hosting places. "We can't implement it in the country so we have to ship and transport it. But since we're starting from scratch the first year we have to deal with what we have and in future seasons we hope to be able to produce on site," said Pallé.

According to Aquafuel Research chief executive Paul Day, a salt water algal pond the size of Switzerland would meet the global energy demand. Algae do not compete with agricultural land like other biofuel feedstocks.

The first Formula E race will take place in Beijing, China, in September.

China Racing has announced it will be taking part in the Formula E Championship electric vehicle race series in 2014. China Racing is the second of ten teams to be confirmed for the zero-emission race after UK-based Drayson Racing Technologies.

The teams will race on street circuits in ten cities across the world in electric cars. The cars for the inaugural year are being designed by McClaren, Spark Racing Technology and Dallara. All teams have the opportunity to use the customer car for the first year and encouraged to build their own cars for races in the following years. With support from Chinese automotive makers China Racing hopes to build a team car within three years.

(L-R): CEO Team China Racing – Steven Lu, Chairman Team China Racing - Yu Liu, FIA President - Jean Todt, First Secretary of the Chinese Embassy - Mr. Liang JianSheng, CEO Formula E Holdings - Alejandro Agag.

Alejandro Agag, Chief Executive Officer of Formula E Holdings said: “China has enormous potential for the expansion of electric vehicles as a tool to fight pollution in cities. We think the FIA Formula E Championship can be a powerful tool to make electric cars popular with the Chinese public, particularly the younger generations. Having a Chinese team with us in the Championship will be key to succeeding in that challenge.”