China Racing joins all-electric Formula E

(From left to right) Team China Racing CEO Steven Lu, Team China racing chairman Yu Liu, Federation International Automobile President Jean Todt, Chinese Embassy's First Secretary Liang Jiansheng, and Formula E Holdings CEO Alejandro Agag pose after news conference to present the second team of the electric car Formula E competition on Wednesday in Paris. Kenzo Tribouillard / Agence France-Presse

Promoters of the fledgling electric car Formula E motor racing competition on Wednesday unveiled China Racing as the second team to sign up for next year's inaugural world championship.

The Chinese outfit joins British team Drayson Racing for the new format starting in 2014 that will feature cars powered solely by electricity.

"Chinese cities have a high level of pollution and electric cars could help them to challenge this issue," said Alejandro Agag, chief executive officer of the Formula E Holdings company that will oversee the commercial rights of the series.

"The success of the competition in China could help the people to change their mind about electric cars."

China Racing director Steven Lu acknowledged that part of his goal, through exposure to the Formula E championship, was to promote electric vehicles in his homeland in the hope of achieving a 15 to 20 percent usage rate by 2030.

The competition, touted as an environmentally friendly alternative to Formula One, will feature 10 races staged on urban circuits in iconic cities, with the full 2014 calendar set to be unveiled on March 8.

Agag also confirmed a Chinese city, possibly Shanghai or Beijing, would host a race.

"There will be two (host) cities in Asia, including one in China, two in South America, two in North America and two in Europe (one of which will be Rome)," Agag said.

Two other venues would be added to the calendar in September, he said.

The series will ultimately consist of 10 teams. The other eight are expected to be revealed by the end of the year, with 20 drivers at the controls of cars capable of reaching speeds of up to 250 kilometers per hour.