Bertrand Piccard Expresses Support for Formula E

Initiator and Pilot of Solar Impulse, Bertrand Piccard, publily announced his support for Formula E at the Supercharged show this week.He welcomed the all-electric car race series and cited them as a leader in raising awareness about electric cars and in showing that they can be as practical and quick as fuel-powered cars.Supercharged Presenter, Nicki Shields, said: "Formula E is for car racing, what Solar Impulse is for aviation... It's a new laboratory showing how clean technology can be sexy. It's not anymore about something that is boring and expensive; it's something that really attracts the awareness of people. It's spectacular.

The Solar Impulse 2, piloted by Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, completed the first solar-powered circumnavigation of the world last summer.The solar plane was equipped with 17,000 solar cells and four batteries which were powering four engines. Bertrand Piccard said: "It feels like science fiction... You look at the sun and you look at your four electric motors turning the propellers and you have no noise, no pollution, no fuel and you know you can fly forever ... it's the wonders and miracles that clean technologies can achieve."