Italian capital all set for Formula E Championship electric car race

ROME, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The city of Rome was enjoying its first Formula E Championship race as the electric racecars are set to speed around the Italian capital in the so-called E-prix on Saturday.

Streets have been closed off and the 2.84-kilometer track with 21 turns has been traced out in the EUR neighborhood on the south side of the city.

The event should attract over 40,000 visitors and will place "sports, environmental sustainability, and tourism" at center stage, said Federturismo tourism operators association chief Gianfranco Battisti.

"It will be a starting point to create a sustainable, innovative transportation model with a green approach, which we hope can bring logistical advantages to the whole city," Battisti said before the event.

The Formula E Championship is the world's first fully-electric international single-seater street racing series. It made its global debut in the grounds of the Olympic Park in Beijing in 2014.

Consisting of 10 teams and 20 drivers, Formula E delivers world-class racing to 10 cities over five continents, throughout the seven-month championship season.

Formula E serves as a competitive platform for global car manufacturers to test and develop new technologies, helping to refine the design of electric vehicles and improve the driving experience for everyday drivers, organizers said.

The E-prix took place in Marrakesh, Morrocco, in January, followed by Santiago de Chile in February, and Mexico City and Punta del Este, Uruguay, in March. It moves on to Paris on April 28 and Berlin on May 19. Enditem