CES 2014: Formula E fully electric car powers up in Vegas

Tree huggers, tech nerds and fast-car aficionados stood side by side at the CES consumer electronics show in Las Vegas for the unveiling of the Spark-Renault SRT 01E Formula E car.

F1 driver Lucas di Grassi showed off the car’s specs in a demonstration, performing doughnuts, sudden stops and sharp turns in the car.

The car burned some serious rubber but with not a trace of exhaust. That’s because the new FIA Formula E Championship car is all electric and is the first of its series, exclusively for electric cars.

The car is capable of reaching speeds of more than 150 miles per hour and has a zero-to-60 time of less than 3 seconds, and it barely makes a sound.

Formula E is slated to begin in September and run through June 2015 on street courses through major world cities, including Beijing, London and Los Angeles.

The series is expected to consist of one-hour races, given that the car batteries last up to 25 minutes at a time. Drivers will have to switch cars during the race while the batteries recharge.

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