Formula E: Volkswagen Partners with ABT Schaeffler for 2016 Season

Strategic involvement in the international FIA championship series for electric vehicles
First race of the second season to take place on 17 October in Beijing

Volkswagen is participating in the FIA Formula E Championship series as a strategic partner of the ABT Schaeffler team. The international racing series for all-electric formula vehicles made its debut in September 2014 and attracted a great deal of media attention and a huge number of spectators and television viewers in just its first season. The 2015-16 season will begin in Asia. A total of 11 street circuit races will be held throughout the season in cities in Asia, North and South America and Europe.

The Formula E Championship made a spectacular debut last year with several hundred million television viewers worldwide and nearly 400,000 spectators lining the street circuits in Buenos Aires, Miami, Berlin, London and other cities. When the new season begins on 17 October in Beijing, Volkswagen will also be on hand as a sponsor.

ABT Schaeffler and Volkswagen enjoy a long-standing and successful partnership in which sustainability plays a key role. For example, the Scirocco R-Cup held with biogas vehicles from 2011 to 2014 was the world’s most environmentally friendly brand cup racing series.

With its all-electric models, such as the e-Golf and e-up!, as well as plug-in hybrids like the Golf GTE and Passat GTE, Volkswagen has the most extensive line-up of vehicles with electric drive systems.

ABT Schaeffler – the only German team to participate in the first Formula E season – ended up finishing third in both the Drivers’ Championship and the Teams’ Championship with drivers Daniel Abt, 22, and Lucas di Grassi, 31.

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