Formula E cars will be recharged in Miami using electricity supplied by energy company FPL, with solar making some contribution.

The news was revealed yesterday during a press event at the company’s Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center power plant, which makes use of an impressive array of parabolic troughs (including some 190,000 mirrors) to collect the sun’s rays. This solar energy is fed into the plant, reducing the amount of natural gas used to produce electricity and lowering the site’s carbon footprint.

While the partnership helps highlight the progress FPL is making towards a low-carbon electricity grid, however, it does not mean that the cars will be recharged using the power of the sun alone, as some have reported.

The glycerin-fuelled Aquafuel generators (which have been used at every race to date and which produce next to no emissions) will still be set up in Miami, although a news story by the series organiser seems to hint that the innovative units won’t be switched on this time: “Formula E cars will continue to be powered by the virtually zero-emission Aquafuel generators at the remaining races.”

FPL will also sponsor the schools series event in Miami, with prizes on offer that will contribute towards expanded STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) initiatives at the winning schools. The link might highlight a new direction for overall Formula E sponsorship efforts. Attracting energy companies as headline sponsors makes a great deal of sense.

Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) today announced it will power the vehicles racing in the country’s first-ever electric car race to be held in downtown Miami on March 14. FPL announced the partnership at its Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center along with famed race car driver Michael Andretti and drivers in the Miami ePrix, the first of two American venues for the race.

“Our partnership with Formula E and the Miami ePrix is another example of our commitment to advancing zero-emissions solar energy and the use of electric vehicles in Florida,” said Eric Silagy, president and CEO of FPL.

FPL announced it will also sponsor a student electric vehicle race. Students from schools throughout FPL’s service area who are involved in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs will assemble 10 electric kit cars.

On March 14, student teams will then compete in the Formula E School Series, racing on the same track as the Miami ePrix, vying for a grand prize of $5,000, a second-place prize of $2,500 and a third-place prize of $1,500.

prnewswire.com