Hyderabad catch glimpse of sleek Formula E car

HYDERABAD: A Formula E car was showcased on the cable-stayed bridge at Durgam Cheruvu on Sunday as part of a promotional campaign to the city folk interested in the ePrix race that will be organised on NTR Marg in February. The event was meant to display advancements made in electric vehicles and battery recharging technologies.

Arvind Kumar, special chief secretary, municipal administration and urban development, unveiled the car for motorsports enthusiasts. Later in the day, the car was displayed at the Tank Bund, where it will stay parked for five days.

The event organisers said the car would be taken around 15 to 20 locations in the city, including KBR Park, before proceeding to other metros.

Hyderabad is the only Indian city and is among 12 from across the world to host a Formula E World Championship event next year.

The ePrix, as a Formula E race is referred to, will be held on February 11. Hyderabad is contracted to host the event for four years.

Officials from Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) said that they would spend `one crore to revamp NTR Marg. The organisers said that 30,000 people would be able to watch the race. The track will be 2.7 km, and the race will be run on both sides of NTR Marg. U-turns at the Indira Gandhi rotary and at Lumbini Park will complete the loop.

The race will feature more energy-efficient Gen 3 cars with a top speed of 300 kmph and which can go from 0 to 100 kmph in 2.8 seconds. The cars will be test beds for battery and rapid charging technologies that will eventually get translated to regular vehicles.

One of the reasons Hyderabad was chosen as a venue was that a city road with slight modification could be upgraded to meet Formula E requirements, officials said. Formula E races are run on city roads, unlike Formula 1, which are largely on special tracks except in a few instances.