DS Virgin Racing Formula E team set to become carbon neutral thanks to partnership with the Carbon Trust

The Carbon Trust has partnered with DS Virgin Racing team to help them take the necessary steps to make their core operations carbon neutral. This commitment will also be complemented with a carbon reduction strategy to reduce the team’s impact over time.

22 April 2018

DS Virgin Racing recently launched its Race Against Climate Change programme, in conjunction with Sir Richard Branson, the Virgin Group and the Rocky Mountain Institute, which has paved the way for a series of new sustainability initiatives being unveiled in the lead up to their all-electric, FIA Formula E Championship race and Innovation Summit in Paris on April 28.

Tom Delay, Chief Executive of the Carbon Trust, said:

“DS Virgin Racing’s efforts to become carbon neutral shows the team’s desire to match sustainability leadership with a leading position on the track. Focusing on what action can be taken within the team’s own operations is a great first step, however critically there is also huge potential for the team to leverage its high-profile status to influence others. We are really excited to be working with such an innovative team in the all-electric Formula E motorsport series.”

DS Virgin Racing Team Principal Alex Tai said:

“We’re very proud to be announcing the results of this work, which will further bolster our already high sustainability credentials. Understandably, being a motorsport team, we face concerns about the amount of carbon we produce in order to go racing. However, thanks to the Carbon Trust, we can be reassured that we are offsetting this and helping to play our part in tackling climate change.”

He added: 

“The team has always been committed to sustainability, in line with our purpose to ‘power innovation to positively impact lives’, and this new announcement just goes to demonstrate that. It will also underpin our Race Against Climate Change programme, which seeks to accelerate initiatives that help the world achieve the goals of the Paris Climate Accord. In addition, it also complements our new sustainably built headquarters at Silverstone Park and our Paris Innovation Summit, which we’re hosting on race day together with Sir Richard Branson.”

-ENDS-

 

For more information please contact Ainslie MacLeod at the Carbon Trust press office on +44 (0) 20 7170 7050 or email ainslie.macleod@carbontrust.com.

About DS Virgin Racing:
The DS Virgin Racing Formula E Team is one of the founding and leading outfits in the FIA Formula E Championship – the world’s first fully-electric single-seater racing series. Headed up by Team Principal Alex Tai and with the continued support of Virgin founder Sir Richard Branson, the team works in partnership with French luxury car manufacturer DS Automobiles, collaborating together in order to power innovation.

The team’s commercial headquarters are based in London, whilst it’s operational arm is centred at new state-of-the-art facilities at Silverstone, both overlapping with DS Automobiles’ facilities in Satory, France – part of the PSA Group’s Centre of Excellence.

Now entering its fourth season, the team remains one of the most successful on the grid and remains one of only a handful of teams to have recorded victories in every Formula E season to date.

Meanwhile, Virgin Group is a leading international investment group and one of the world's most recognised and respected brands. Conceived in 1970 by Sir Richard Branson, the Virgin Group has gone on to grow successful businesses in sectors including mobile telephony, travel & transportation, financial services, leisure & entertainment and health & wellness.

About DS Automobiles:
A French brand born in Paris, DS was founded on 1 June 2014. Its ambition is to embody the French know-how of luxury in its cars. Driven by its outstanding heritage and avant-garde spirit, DS perpetuates the values of innovation and distinction inherited from the first DS, launched in 1955.

Designed for customers looking for a means to express themselves as individuals, the DS Collection comprises DS 3, DS 3 CABRIO, DS 4, DS 4 CROSSBACK, DS 4S, DS 5, DS 5LS, DS 6 and completed with DS 7 CROSSBACK. The models in the DS range stand apart through their avant-garde design, refinement and attention to detail, advanced technology and dynamic serenity.

Presented at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, DS 7 CROSSBACK, the SUV by DS featuring Parisian-style innovation and savoir-faire, ushers in the second generation of DS models. With the DS 7 CROSSBACK La Première limited edition model, forward thinkers can reserve their car online or at a DS Store or DS Salon, and be the first to get behind the wheel. Committed to high-performance hybrid and electric cars, the Brand will launch the DS 7 CROSSBACK equipped with E-Tense, the hybrid powertrain by DS, in 2019.

DS models are available from DS Stores, DS Salons and a selection of other dedicated spaces within the Citroën network. DS also has a flagship store, DS WORLD PARIS. DS represents a brand experience that goes beyond the products to include ONLY YOU, a collection of exclusive services showcased at the 2016 Paris Motor Show.

For more information visit www.dsautomobiles.com

About the FIA Formula E Championship:
The FIA Formula E Championship is the world’s first fully-electric single-seater racing series, competing on the streets against the backdrop of some of the most iconic cities - including Hong Kong, Marrakesh, Paris, Berlin, New York and Montreal. The championship represents a vision for the future of the motor industry, serving as a platform to showcase the latest innovations in electric vehicle technology and alternative energy solutions. Future seasons will see the regulations open up further allowing manufacturers to focus on the development of motor and battery components, which in turn will filter down to everyday contemporary electric road vehicles.

 

For more information visit www.fiaformulae.com