South Australian business and community organisations are calling for Adelaide to become a host city for the Formula E Grand Prix.
“Adelaide is a smart, modern and ambitious city when it comes to embracing new technology. Bringing Formula E to South Australia would put Adelaide on a global stage and help to show just how much our state has to offer” said Noah Schultz-Byard, The Australia Institute’s SA Projects Manager.
“Melbourne can keep the Formula 1. In Adelaide, we’re looking to the future and are ready to host the ultramodern Formula E.”
Formula E is an electric motor sport series, similar to Formula 1, which has grown in popularity since its inaugural championship in 2014. Adelaide has repeatedly been suggested as a potential host city for the event in Australia.
Majority of South Australians Want ‘Formula E’ Championship Race Held in Adelaide
Research from The Australia Institute has shown that more than half (51%) of South Australians want Adelaide to host a fully electric Formula E Championship race, while just 11% of people oppose the idea.
Key Findings
– 51% of South Australians support hosting Formula E in Adelaide, while only 11% are opposed
– 50% think hosting the race would promote Adelaide and increase tourism
– 42% think it would increase interest in electric vehicles in South Australia
– 35% think it would attract investment to the state
– Just 23% think hosting the race would cost more to run than it would make and 5% worry it would reduce Adelaide’s chances of hosting the Formula 1 again in the future
“There are green shoots of electric car manufacturing interest in South Australia and an event like Formula E, which celebrates electric transport and innovation, would help to encourage greater investment.
“Previously, Australia was one of just 13 countries in the world that could build a car from beginning to end. Adelaide was at the forefront of that and it could be true again, in the future, when it comes to electric vehicle manufacturing,” said Noah Schultz-Byard
With South Australia no longer pursuing its bid to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, Formula E could potentially become the next major, new event for Adelaide.
Hosting major events like the Tour Down Under, Superloop 500 and the Fringe has made South Australia the Festival State. An annual Formula E Championship race would only add to that.
Half of South Australians think hosting Formula E would help to promote Adelaide and increase future tourism, more than 40% believe it would increase interest in electric vehicles in South Australia and more than a third think it would attract investment to the state.
SA Business and Community Leaders Back Call for Adelaide Formula E Grand Prix
The Australia Institute and a range of South Australian business and community organisations are calling for Adelaide to become a host city for the Formula E Grand Prix.
A full page advertisement (PDF) in the Advertiser newspaper uses Australia Institute research to show that the idea of hosting the race in Adelaide is broadly supported by the South Australian public.
Noah Schultz-Byard, SA Director, The Australia Institute said: “Melbourne can keep the Formula One. Our research shows that South Australia is ready to look to the future and host the all-electric, ultramodern Formula E racing series”
Martin Haese, CEO, Business SA, said: “Formula E plays to South Australia’s natural strengths: it’s motorsport, technology, renewable energy and an exciting street party all rolled into one and South Australia is the only State in the country that ticks all the boxes”
“Formula E represents the future of international motorsport and with our superb track record for staging world-class events and our expertise in renewables, we’re in pole position,” Jodie van Deventer, CEO, Committee for Adelaide, said.
Valdis Dunis, Co-Chair, Formula E for Adelaide, said: “Hosting a Formula E race in Adelaide, with an associated ‘Festival of E-motion’, is the 21st century evolution of motorsport that Australia needs”
A thriving Electric Vehicle (EV) market is necessary to decarbonise transport emissions which have risen steadily over the last three decades and make up 19% of national emissions. EVs will also benefit household budgets, fuel security and our broader air quality – see the Australia Institute’s full submission to the Future Fuels Discussion Paper.
The federal government is well placed to correct Australia’s lagging EV take-up. It has the solutions, laid out by the tax-payer funded Australian Electric Vehicle Market Study, prepared by ENERGEIA for government-funded bodies ARENA and CEFC conducted a market review of electric vehicle sales, stock and infrastructure, to determine which policies and regulations impact most strongly on EV purchase decisions.
It found:
- An increase in direct purchase incentives would drive EV model availability and demand;
- fleet procurement targets increase model availability and overall uptake; and
- vehicle CO2 standards (set at 105g/km) would increase EV availability and uptake in Australia.
