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Mr. Bird said driving the Spark-Renault is a very different experience than driving a traditional racecar since the driver has to be constantly aware of how much battery power he or she has left.

In another attempt to break with tradition, at least two of Formula E’s teams — Britain’s Amlin Aguri and Switzerland’s Trulli — will have female drivers, a rarity in motor sports.

Nine of the ten locations for the first Formula E races have been set and range from Putrajaya, Malaysia and Punta del Este, Uruguay, to Miami and Monte Carlo. But there’s one date — Valentine’s Day 2015 — that doesn’t yet have a location assigned to it.

So could Formula E come to Canada?

“It would certainly be interesting to bring it to Canada,” said Normand Legault, who served as president and CEO of the Canadian Grand Prix from 1996 to 2008.

“I could easily imagine a city like Quebec City might be interested in hosting an event like Formula E.”

However, he pointed out that an outdoor street race won’t work very well in Quebec in February, so it probably won’t happen this season.

Legault said electric car racing’s “time has come,” but the challenge for Formula E’s promoters will be turning a profit, since each race is one day compared to the typical three-day event held by Formula One or IndyCar.

“It’s making the business model work that will be the real test over the next two to three years,” he said.

One way that Formula E is trying to drum up interest is with something called “FanBoost,” which will allow fans to vote on Facebook, Twitter and the Formula E app for their favourite driver. The three drivers with the most votes will each get a “power boost,” which will increase their car’s battery power by 50% for 2.5 seconds during the race.

Purists see the FanBoost as a gimmick.

“The fans can cheer and root, but I don’t think they should get involved in the actual running of the event,” Mr. Legault said.

But Mr. Arnott said it’s a great way to get younger fans interested in the sport.

“We’re using [social media] as a tool to attract the teenagers and the generation who are bored with old-fashioned technology and old-fashioned motor racing,” he said.