Fast Track To Net Zerø

I STARTED RACING AT A YOUNG AGE, working up through the ranks until reaching Formula 1. I’m a four-time Le Mans Champion and World Endurance Champion.

I joined Formula E—the all-electric racing series—at the very start of the championship, not knowing what to expect. Ten years on and I’ve won the driver’s title and a number of team’s titles, most recently with my team Envision Racing. Our team has more podium finishes and championship points than any other team.

Aside from its stellar track record, Envision Racing is unique: its mission is oriented towards sustainability, pushing the adoption of Electric Vehicles (EV) to get to net zero quicker. And there’s no better platform for that than Formula E.

Now in its 11th season, Formula E has demonstrated the rapid advancements capable in electric technology. In Season 1, we had to swap cars halfway through a race—there simply wasn’t enough battery capacity at the time to finish a race. Now, the cars accelerate 30% faster than F1 cars, reaching 0-60mph in 1.82 seconds.

We’re currently driving the GEN3 EVO which is a 2% gain from GEN3 and GEN4 is expected to be another quantum leap in performance.

What’s most impressive about Formula E cars is their efficiency. A typical internal combustion engine has around a 40% efficiency; for every 10 liters of fuel you buy, only four liters actually go to propelling the car forward while the rest is wasted on heat and noise. Our cars are over 95% efficient.

That is made possible through regenerative braking technology. We start the race with less energy than what’s needed to finish, because the car can generate its own kinetic energy. In fact, 40-50% of the energy needed for a race is generated by the car during the race itself.

For Envision Racing, we’re excited about the innovations on track and the impact they will have in the real world. This season, we’re trialing ultra-fast charging—a 30-second pit stop for 10% extra charge. This level of innovation could make charging an electric car as easy as filling up with petrol. All of a sudden, EVs become the desirable choice, not just the sustainable one.

We also raise awareness for climate change and inspire our fans around the world to take action. The team host Race Against Climate Change events at various race locations throughout the season, which bring together thought leaders and experts to discuss climate issues.

There is a program on our website in which fans can take a quiz and make a climate change pledge, to make a small change in their lives to make a difference: for example, eating less red meat, shopping more sustainably and using public transport more.

For every pledge made, the team plants a mangrove tree in Madagascar—and so far over 250,000 pledges have been made.

Overall, it’s been great to have been a part of and witness the growth of the championship—from a sporting and sustainability perspective. The cars continue to develop and break records, while producing some very exciting racing, and the championship’s popularity grows year on year with over 400 million fans tuning in to watch. The bigger Formula E gets, the quicker we can make the transition to EVs and sustainable racing.

The racing in Monaco has always been very exciting in Formula E with a lot more overtakes and wheel-to-wheel action than you would expect on the city’s streets. I look forward to racing there again on May 3rd and 4th.

By Sébastien Buemi

Contributor

Sébastien Buemi is a Swiss racing driver and Formula E champion, with a storied career spanning Formula 1, World Endurance Championship, and electric racing. A four-time Le Mans winner and four-time WEC champion, he also holds the record for most Formula E victories following his dominant 2025 Monaco E-Prix win.