Electric automobility and the race to road transfer: ‘Formula E’ and ‘Extreme E’ in documentary film

Abstract

As the need for changes in transportation grows, the transition to sustainable mobility is being envisioned in varying ways. Shifting from traditional internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) to electric vehicles (EVs), along with changing mobility habits, will both be necessary. What has been neglected from the study is the role of sport in aiding this transition. Motorsport has long served dual roles of serving as a technological testbed and center for culture formation around street cars. Coupling one of the largest sporting platforms in the world with the missions of climate change awareness and technological advancement, two racing leagues are catalyzing the move to electric mobility. Formula E and Extreme E have released documentary films showcasing their future goals. To understand the role of electric racing in shaping the transition to sustainable mobility, this paper uses a grounded theory approach to identify relevant themes of the EV transition, while a narrative analysis is used to foreground the overall storytelling aspect of the ecocinematic films. The racing EV emerges as a site of collective collaboration: meeting the needs of the future within the framing of traditional motorsport, and merging traditionally masculinist narratives of automotive technology with prototypically feminized environmentalism.