Alejandro Agag has done a very impressive job establishing Formula E—a radical new motor-racing series for electric cars. A former politician and businessman, Agag, 45, launched his environmentally conscious endeavor in 2014, and it now has 10 events in as many countries on the racing calendar. “I felt that motorsports was moving away from its fans, who are more concerned with 21st-century issues such as new technology and the fight against climate change,” Agag explains. “So I thought there was a place for a new type of motorsport that would occupy that space.” Sponsors and manufacturers have been attracted not only by the new technologies involved in the cars but also by Formula E’s global television coverage.

Approved and supported by the International Automobile Federation, Formula E has also provided a very public proving ground for many of the world’s major car manufacturers. “I think we’re at the verge of a tipping point in the electric-car industry,” Agag says. “I want Formula E to be a technology platform that will help develop better electric cars and to be the driving force to make people want to drive an electric car.” Battery technology and power storage are improving all the time, and it looks increasingly likely that electric cars are the future for us all—even those of us who hope there will always be a following and fascination for classic cars and historic racing.