Envision Virgin Racing unveils world's first electric Formula Race car at COP26; See pics

Kickstarting the race against climate change, Envision Virgin Racing unveiled the world's first electric two-seater Formula race car at the 26th round of Conference of Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland on November 1. Interestingly, the car can go from 0-96 kmph in just 3.2s and can achieve a top speed of 239 kmph.

Jointly developed by sustainable technology firm Johnson Matthey, the vehicle was introduced by Envision Racing's managing director and chief technology officer, Sylvain Filippi, company board chairman Franz Jung and Director of Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Johan Rockström. 

Calling themselves that "greenest team in Formula E", Filippi said that he is "very privileged" to be at the COP26 summit to unveil the brand new electric F1 car. 

The first electric F1 car to hit the roads

The model designed by the British company Envision Virgin Racing is the first F1 vehicle that runs completely on electricity and its batteries are expected to be produced at a mass scale by 2024. Reportedly, the car runs on full-size lithium-ion battery cells developed through Johnson Matthey’s advanced 'eLNO' nickel-rich cathode material technology.

As per the description given by the companies, this technology offers 20% higher energy density than current alternatives which provides an advantage in driving range and battery life. According to a Dail Mail report, Filippi, while talking about the vehicle said-

"The two-seater race car has been specifically designed to test and push the battery performance to its extreme. This battery technology is unlike anything else we’ve seen before, and we wanted to create a prototype car that would really put it through its paces and showcase its huge potential."

Meant for the advancement towards a green future, the company has developed the car that sports a carbon fibre integrated chassis and body and has slick tyres that will provide optimal mechanical grip and minimise tyre wear and tear to reduce tyre waste. 

The COP26 summit

The COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference, hosted by the UK in partnership with Italy, will take place from October 31 to November 12, 2021, in the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow, UK. Besides PM Modi, the Summit will have in attendance the President of the United States Joe Biden, Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, France President Emmanuel Macron among others. The world leaders at the summit are going to discuss the various ways to collaborate and tackle the pressing issue of climate change. 

Image: Twitter/@Envision_Racing