Cost control is critical if Formula E is to secure the participation of big name OEMs, said head honcho Alejandro Agag in a press conference today. He also announced the launch of an electric yacht from boat maker Van Dutch, which has been providing water shuttles to the track.

“I want to thank Miami Heat. We’re here in their home. We have had to obtain 163 different permits to host the race tomorrow. This would not have been possible without the support of Miami, the museums, the city of Miami, and the county of Miami Dade, and the great work of Andretti Sports Marketing.

We are a little bit overwhelmed by the demand, the attention that this event is getting. We’re havin

The United States has its own motorsport. The US has fantastic championships. It has Indycar, it has NASCAR. For international motorsport, it has never been easy. We think if we try to compete with Indycar or NASCAR, we will fail. They have a lot of great fans. We come to the US with a fresh approach, a different point of view. This is a celebration of a different type of event. We have to try to include the young fans. This is why we do things like Fanboost. This is why we open up the championship to the digital space.

Formula E has two main objectives. One is to change the perception of electric cars. The other is to change the framework of how electric cars are developed. F1, Indycar and NASCAR are places where new technologies are developed that have then been used in road cars. We would like formula E to be that place for electric mobility.

There are short term advances we can make and long term advancements we can achieve. In the short term, the lessons we are learning are in the area of regeneration. This area is going to deliver immediate results. Already after four races, the data we have is extremely relevant and could be applied to road cars quite soon. The Holy Grail of electric mobility is batteries. Batteries is the priority in the medium and long term. We have developed a roadmap that targets going from two cars to one car to finish the race in season five.

I’m not so sure I want to be a world championship. We have to see what a world championship brings to Formula E. First of all, we have to match certain conditions but we are very comfortable at the moment. We have great cooperation with the FIA in terms of defining the rules. We need to have the mentality of cost control. If we don’t achieve cost control, we endanger the championship itself. The main thing is to use common sense. The OEMs we are talking to – and we are talking to a few – they are looking for a championship that manages the whole concept of cost control.

We all have seen many championships exist and then disappear. This has happened with many championships. Formula E was a fantastic idea, a fantastic start up. It’s none of those things any more. It’s now a solid, long-term company. This partnership has taken Formula E to the next level. OEMs want to be sure that the championship they’re going to get involved with will be here in two years, in four years. Before, the answer was, we hope so. Now the answer is yes.”