Zurich, 20 April 2018, 7:30 a.m.: One could feel the electricity in the air as a crew unloaded a shiny blue car from a truck onto a quiet side street behind Zurich’s main train station. But this was no ordinary vehicle. It was a Renault e.dams Z.E.17 single seater electric car. In just a few hours, history would be made the as a race car was set to zoom down Switzerland’s city streets for the first time since 1954. Behind the wheel: Swiss race car driver and Formula E 2015-2016 season champion Sébastien Buemi.
7:45 a.m.: But first, some final preparations before the historic ride. As a team of Renault engineers disassembled and reassembled auto parts, checked the engine, secured the tyres and tested the all-important battery powering the car, a steady stream of photographers and local press began to arrive. Curious passersby stopped to take selfies. An excited father posed in front of the car with his daughter. Taxi drivers craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the modern looking vehicle as they drove by. As the small crowd of onlookers grew, a mixture of languages could be heard everywhere: French, Swiss German and English.
Police and racers on the streets
8:25 a.m.: Two Zurich police officers performed a mandatory inspection to ensure the vehicle was fit to hit the streets. Even the police seemed to be infected by all the excitement as this was not just another day on the job for them: several cops were spotted taking their own pictures of Buemi’s car.
9:00 a.m.: The man of the hour arrived. He quickly suited up and was swarmed by photographers and camera crews. As the light and shadows shifted, a decision was made to move the vehicle to a sunnier spot. Renault’s crew of mechanics rolled the electric vehicle half a block down the road and cheekily parked it directly across the street from a gas station. Just one day earlier, Buemi had declared in an interview, “Within 10 years most of us will be driving e-cars.” Might this poor gas station disappear in just a few years? Or will it keep up with the times and be converted into an e-charging station?
9:15 a.m.: Buemi, his team and the organisers of the Zurich E-Prix met with the police for a final briefing on the planned route that would take them through the city centre.
9:30 a.m.: Anticipation continued to build as more police arrived to direct traffic. The gaggle of photographers followed Buemi’s every move, vying for the best shot of the Swiss champ.
Enjoy the silence
9:50 a.m.: Buemi stepped into the cockpit from the car’s lucky left side (he claims entering from the left is his only pre-race ritual), buckled up, revved his engine and he was off!
For a race car, it was surprisingly quiet—not the deafening roar we’re used to hearing in auto races powered by internal combustion engines, but more of a high-pitched whirring sound. On the previous day, Buemi had commented that when he first drove an electric race car, he was shocked that there was hardly any noise. For him, a Formula E race is the perfect event for families to bring their children to expose them to the sport and sustainable technology at a young age without worrying about the noise. “It’s fascinating to be part of that evolution,” he said. “Above all, I do this job because I love to race. But I also love the fact that we are developing this new technology for the next generation,” He then mused, “Maybe my two-year old son will never drive an internal combustion engine once he turns 18.”
Renault blue meets Zurich blue
10:05: Once on the Limmatquai, a quick pit stop for a photo op as Zurich’s iconic blue trams rumbled by—a perfect juxtaposition of the present and future of electric mobility.
10:11: Buemi sped off once again, making his way up the hill towards the finish line at Zurich’s Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich), Switzerland’s hub for scientific innovation and research where he was greeted by Zurich’s Mayor, Corine Mauch, ETH President Lino Guzzella, ABB’s Chief Executive Remo Lütolf, and Julius Baer’s Head Region Switzerland, Gian Rossi.
After posing for a few more pictures with Buemi and his blue Renault, ETH President Lino Guzzella hosted a lively discussion on the future of sustainable mobility in Zurich. The general consensus was that the Formula E racing series is an ideal showcase for the latest advances in electric vehicle technology. Gian Rossi added, "As a company with Swiss roots, we are extremely proud to be the title sponsor of the Zurich race, which will add an exciting chapter to the history of motorsport in Switzerland while supporting the development of emission-free technologies."
12:00: The morning’s events were capped off with an autograph session with Sébastien Buemi for fans and auto racing enthusiasts.
The countdown is on!
In just 48 days, Sébastien Buemi will take to Zurich’s streets once again, along with 19 other Formula E drivers, for Switzerland’s first road race in 64 years. Who will be at the top of the Zurich E-Prix podium on June 10? When asked, Buemi quickly replied “I hope it will be me!” Given that he will be on home turf, that sounds like the perfect way to make his mark on Swiss motorsport history.