Zurich E-Prix: The great festival of the electric cars
HIGH VOLTAGE The first circuit race to be staged in Switzerland in almost 64 years is a thing of the past. The Julius Baer Zurich E-Prix leaves behind a new awareness when it comes to motorsport. The days of high voltage on Lake Zurich must be a confirmation for supporters of the event: "Yes, it's feasible, it's an enrichment." Critics [...]
The days of high voltage at Lake Zurich must be a confirmation for supporters of the event: "Yes, it can be done, it is an enrichment." Critics will have trouble with their arguments against car racing, where the applause and enthusiasm of the people at the passage of the winner Lucas di Grassi with his Audi (AutoSprintCH online reported) were measurably louder than the decibels of the electric motor. And the little bit of hissing and tire squealing - a streetcar doesn't roll through the curve as a whisperer either.
City of Zurich has again shown how to celebrate festivals
Regardless of whether it was 60,000 or, as predicted by the organizers, more than 100,000 visitors who found their way to the E-Village with information booths from Mercedes EQ, Porsche, DS Automobiles, BMW, Jaguar and to the track: Zurich has once again shown how to celebrate festivities. And in such a way that everyone gets something out of it.
Vison by Nicolas Hayek as electric racer at the start
In addition to all the celebrities and power that Audi, Jaguar and Co. sent out on the track, there was something like a confirmation of the vision of a clever Swiss thinking far into the future during a break in training. One who years ago, unfortunately only on paper, put a car of the unusual kind on wheels - Nicolas Hayek. His project: the Smart car. The clear demand to possible partners: "The car should actually only be available with a purely electric drive." And this vision was on display at the Formula E race in Zurich - the Smart, but as a racer! Without exhaust fumes, without noise, only the whirring of the drive could be heard. The cars compete in the Italian Smart EQ Fortwo E-Cup.
Test drive around the E-Prix circuit in a Smart Racer
AutoSprintCH was able to take one of these mini sprinters for a few laps around the 2.465-kilometer E-Prix circuit. Compared to the series, the Italo racer is only equipped with a seat and arm-thick tubes for rollover protection. Otherwise everything as before? Not quite. Pressing the pedal on the far right bottom can lead to swallowing difficulties. The acceleration is tremendous for such a midget, and it's fun to drive. You can see how it went in the film.
Camouflaged development vehicle from Mercedes-Benz
It was not without good reason that Smart had the runabouts transported to Switzerland. Shortly before the qualifying of the E-Prix, an EQ parade, led by a camouflaged Mercedes-Benz EQC development vehicle, whirred over welded-up manhole covers and rails. Marc Langenbrinck, CEO Mercedes-Benz Schweiz AG: "At Smart, we already have vehicles from the EQ family in our current range with several models."
This, admittedly, clever marketing action shows how techniques from racing and everyday life influence each other. And anyone who thinks back to the event, of which the organizers, the city and the whole of Switzerland can be proud, with this insight will look forward to the race (June 9, 2019) in Zurich, which will hopefully also be approved in 2019.
