The "fight" to get Formula E racing to Adelaide has "gone up a gear," according to Tory Shepherd of THE ADVERTISER. The industry fueled the argument for an electric car race in South Australia, saying that it "would help put the state at the centre of the emerging technology." Public hearings of the Senate Select Committee on Electric Vehicles started on Friday. The Australian Electric Vehicle Association made a submission to the committee "arguing that electric motor sports are booming, and hosting a round of the global Formula E Championship in Adelaide would boost the sector and spawn innovation." The association wrote, "It would build on Adelaide's rich history of staging major motor sports events and see Adelaide become the focal point for electric vehicles within the region." Independent South Australia Senator Tim Storer, who is chairing the committee, wrote to SA Premier Steven Marshall asking for his support to bring a leg of the Formula E Championship to Adelaide. Billionaire Sanjeev Gupta is "already on the case and is looking to build electric vehicles in Adelaide." The man credited with "saving" the Whyalla steelworks is also discussing plans for Formula E racing in SA with the Adelaide City Council (THE ADVERTISER, 8/9).
