The first-ever ABB FIA Formula E World Championship race in India took place in Hyderabad on Saturday, with Jean-Éric Vergne of France winning the Greenko Hyderabad E-Prix 2023 championship.
As part of its efforts to promote electric vehicle adoption by the public, the Telangana government has supported the Formula E racing event, the electric car equivalent of Formula One.
Special tracks were laid and the upgradation of regular city roads to racing standard was undertaken for the event in the heart of the city near the Hussain Sagar lake and the new secretariat complex.
Electric cars raced on the 2.835 km-long street circuit.
The racing event was attended by thousands of enthusiasts, including several celebrities and sporting stars like Ram Charan and Sachin Tendulkar. Telangana's IT, industries minister K T Rama Rao was also present.
Organizers said that “the historic race” had a “sellout capacity crowd of more than 25,000 fans.”
In the run up to the race, various events were organized in Hyderabad like the launch of the first edition of the Hyderabad E-Motor Show as part of Hyderabad E-Mobility Week.
“Telangana is committed to providing an impetus to EV adoption and aims to play a pivotal role in India’s transition to electric mobility,” said KTR at the event on Wednesday.
“We strongly believe India is well equipped to develop as a hub for manufacturing of electric vehicles and its supply chain,” added the minister.
Ahead of the race, the much loved double-decker buses, which were phased out years back, returned to Hyderabad roads, this time as swanky electric vehicles.
With the Greenko Formula E-prix scheduled for February 11, the first three buses “were predominantly plying around the race track covering Tank Bund, Necklace Road, Paradise and Nizam College stretch.” Officials said that after February 11, there are plans to deploy these buses along a heritage circuit to augment tourism in the city.
The conventional double-decker buses plied in the city up until 2003.
The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) plans to extend the e-double decker fleet to 20 buses.
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