It might seem a bit of a stretch to say that a motor race can help save the world, but with Formula E, that's not such an outlandish statement.
This new race series, held on the streets of cities around the world, uses cars that look almost identical to the vehicles seen in the globally popular Formula 1 series, but are powered entirely by electricity rather than petrol.
Aside from becoming a popular and profitable race series, Formula E has two main goals. The first is to act as a testing ground for new electric motor technologies which can filter down into mass-produced production cars. The second and arguably more important goal is to inspire the general public into seeing electric cars not simply as a novelty driven by an eccentric few, but as an exciting option for everyday people.
British businessman Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, sees Formula E as a catalyst to create more energy-efficient electric technologies, potentially leading to a cleaner world that's less reliant on fossil fuels. His Virgin Racing team finished fifth in this year's inaugural team championship.
"Formula E makes green energy sexy," Branson explained at Virgin Racing's press conference before the final races of the season in London last weekend. "If you go back 10 or 20 years, people thought electric cars were something granny drove. Now they see wonderful hybrids, looking sleek, looking sexy, and that puts a spur on the revolution the world needs. It's going to be a very exciting revolution.
"If you turn the clock forward 30 years we will be powering the world with clean energy, which will cost us half what we're currently paying, and that means we'll be able to build more hospitals, we'll be able to build more schools, and we won't be polluting our children, or our grandchildren.
"Formula E is going to grow as clean energy generally is. Twenty years from now there will be no new cars being built that do not run only on battery power. [Internal combustion technology] is antiquated technology, it will disappear over the next 20 years. There's still going to be room for Formula 1 but I think four or five years from now you'll see Formula E overtaking it.
"The future is going to be a fascinating one, and I'm taking my pills so I can live to see it."
Unlike Formula 1, the cars in the inaugural season of Formula E are standardised across the teams, meaning the design, engines, wheels and tyres are all the same. The car is a Spark-Renault SRT-01E, made from carbon-fibre, aluminium and Kevlar. It can accelerate from 0-62mph in 3 seconds and has a top speed of 140mph.
"Our main challenge is to manage the energy available to us over a stint," explained Danny King, one of Virgin Racing's engineers. "As battery technology improves, we'll have more energy available to us from a battery and we'll be less limited by temperature and current. They're the main challenges in racing to look at over the next few years."
From his position as an engineer, does King think electric racing will be the future of motor sport? "Absolutely 100 percent. The race is great, the technical challenge is extreme but fascinating and really good for the spectators and the engineers. It's absolutely the future. We're really pleased at how the momentum has grown behind the series and we're really glad that we're a part of it so early on."
Inspiring the public to be excited about electric racing and electric cars in general is a critical task for Formula E. Without public interest, manufacturers have less incentive to develop and produce their own electric vehicles, as people simply won't buy them. Without manufacturers developing new and exciting electric technologies, public interest won't increase. It's off to a strong start, however, and as electric car advocate and Red Dwarf star Robert Llewellyn told me, "Formula E has raised the flag around the world that these cars are a viable alternative to fossil fuel dependent vehicles."
Motorsport Magazine editor Damien Smith is less convinced of Formula E's ability to overtake Formula 1 so soon, however. "People in motor racing remain sceptical. Will the interest of car manufacturers and blue-chip sponsors be enough to keep the series rolling? Unlike other series that have come before it, Formula E has the 'green' angle going for it. This could make it sustainable in more ways than one.
"The weekend crowd of 60,000 [at the London race] was encouraging, and the strength and depth of the driving talent is superb. But the series has a long way to go before it can rival Formula 1 in global popularity. Will it in the future? The spectacle and speed of the cars will need to come on in leaps and bounds for it to do so," Smith said.
"Formula E should be considered a welcome alternative, its lack of engine noise making it a family-friendly form of motor racing taking the sport into cities -- and potentially a new audience. The motor racing world should embrace it for this fact alone."