Long Beach added to Formula E calendar

The FIA Formula E Championship, the world's first fully-electric racing series, has announced that round seven of its inaugural season will be held on the iconic streets of Long Beach, California.
The Long Beach ePrix, as it will be titled, will take place on April 4 next year and will form one of 10 races - and one of two in the US alongside Miami - taking place in city-centres across the globe.
Organisers also confirmed that the race will be one of two that forms part of the championship's "Legacy Programme" giving free access to fans with a focus on attracting school and university students from the nearby area to appeal to a new generation of motorsport fans and promote the electric vehicle industry.

The FIA's (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile) new open-wheel championship using fully-electric race cars capable of speeds in excess of 150mph.
Its 10 teams have already been confirmed and feature some of the leading names in motorsport including two from the US - Michael Andretti's Andretti Autosport and Jay Penske's Dragon Racing.
A total of 20 drivers will take part, two per team, four of which have already been announced including former F1 stars Lucas di Grassi (Audi Sport Abt) and Jaime Alguersuari (Virgin Racing).

"Long Beach is proud to be among the elite group of international cities hosting Formula E," said Mayor Bob Foster, who is a long-time electric vehicle owner and recognised expert on energy issues.

Long Beach was selected to host one of the 10 international races by championship promoters due to its commitment to sustainable mobility and long-running success hosting large scale sporting events. California is the number one market for plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) sales with around 12 percent of national sales alone occurring in the South California area.
The Long Beach street circuit is the longest running in the US beginning in 1975 and hosted Formula One from 1976 to 1983 before staging annual CART, Champ Car and IndyCar races.
The first Formula E race takes place around Beijing's Olympic 'Bird's Nest' Stadium on September 13.

All Formula E events take place in just one day - practice, qualifying and a one-hour race.