Formula E adds Bangkok as 9th city in proposed 2014 season

In addition to announcing its new partnership with Renault, the Formula E has announced Bangkok Thailand as the 9th city for the Formula E 2014 season. Their 2014 season of electric car racing is envisioned to include 10 cities around the world, and two months ago had announced a list of 8 candidate cities. That list is now 9 cities with the addition of Bangkok.

In September 2013, Formula E Holdings is due to present the list of candidate cities to the FIA for approval of the 2014 Formula E season.

“We are delighted to be here in Bangkok today and are very thankful to the Thai authorities for their enthusiastic welcome,” said Alejandro Agag. “We have been very impressed with Thailand’s commitment to cleaner energy and sustainable motoring, as well as their rising motorsport programme, and a Formula E race through this amazing city would provide a great spectacle together with a considerable boost to tourism.”

Pol.Maj.Gen Lattasanya Piansomparn said: “In 2012, total production, local sales, and exports of cars, reached new highs, close to 2.5 million cars and breaking a record that had stood for more than 50 years. The heavily promoted Thai car industry was on the way to becoming one of the top 10 car producers in the world. The government policy is to force Thailand as the ASEAN hub of automotive production and announce a new master plan for the automotive industry from 2012 to 2016, formulating development strategies for sustainable growth of the industry, especially the global trends focusing on clean energy.

“This reflects the vision of Thailand’s automotive industry and if Thailand is one of the cities’ selected to host the FIA Formula E Championship, it will create a great opportunity for the future automotive industry cooperation and Formula E production base in Thailand. Formula E now is the latest innovation and technology of automotive industry. The future automotive trend is electric energy. Moreover, the best benefits for Thailand are; the cutting edge of technology, increased employment opportunities and an increase in labour skills at an international standard.”

Mr. Chiruit Israngkun Na Ayuthaya added: “The FIA Formula E Championship in Bangkok city will help economic growth (GDP) and generate tourism revenue for the country, especially MICE industry and motor sports economic activities.”

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David Herron is a writer and software engineer living in Silicon Valley. He primarily writes about electric vehicles, clean energy systems, climate change, peak oil and related issues. When not writing he indulges in software projects and is sometimes employed as a software engineer. David has written for sites like PlugInCars and TorqueNews, and worked for companies like Sun Microsystems and Yahoo.