FIA President Interested in Creating Electric Formula 1 Racing Championship

Photo: JiteshJagadish, Flickr, CC
This Race is Electrifying!
I'm not a big fan of motorsports, but to many people they are a big deal. And the millions of dollars that various racing teams invest in developing better engines, transmissions, aerodynamic bodies, etc, lead to improvements in more mainstream vehicles, so they have an impact even for non-fans. But wouldn't it be cool if instead of having engineers working on making better gasoline-powered cars, F1 teams were working on making better electric cars? That might happen if FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) president Jean Todt is to be believed.

Photo: JiteshJagadish, Flickr, CC

The European Commission has asked Formula One's governing body to set up a racing championship series for electric cars, as a way of increasing public awareness and excitement about new-technology vehicles. Jean Todt, president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, told the Financial Times that the governing body was working with commissioners to create new electric car, go-kart and single-seater racing categories, raising the prospect of an F1-style electric car championship on Grand Prix circuits.
"We want as soon as possible to have new categories with new energy," said Mr Todt, who added that a first season for electric car racing could come as early as 2013 and would be as global as the FIA could make it. (source)

I'm all for it if it can make more people consider electric cars because of a 'halo' effect (in the same way that the Tesla Roadster changed most people's perception of EVs when it first came out), and if it can help increase the pace of innovation for EVs.
Via FT
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/04/fia-f1-president-electric-formula-1-racing-championship.php