At Envision Racing, we believe electric motorsport is more than a race on track; it’s a powerful platform for driving sustainable change. This belief took centre stage at our recent Race Against Climate Change® (RACC) Live event in Tokyo, held in collaboration with our partner, Teijin.
Bringing together leaders from e-mobility, manufacturing, technology and finance, the event explored a pressing question: how can cross-industry collaboration and innovation accelerate the shift to a circular economy? Two powerful panel discussions tackled this challenge from different angles.
Panel 1: From Race to Reality – Formula E as a Testbed for Circular Innovation
The first panel, featuring Envision Racing and battery manufacturer AESC, explored how electric motorsport can drive change far beyond the racetrack. As Envision Racing’s Managing Director and CTO, Sylvain Filippi, explained, Formula E is defining motorsport’s role in sustainability.
Compared to F1’s 20 tyre sets per car per race and large teams, Formula E operates with just two sets per car per weekend and a significantly smaller crew. The impact is clear: more efficiency, less waste.
In just over a decade, Formula E has evolved from needing two cars per driver to single-car efficiency, 350kW power output, and 0-60 mph acceleration in 1.8 seconds, which is 30% faster than F1. Looking ahead, Gen 4 cars in 2026 will push boundaries with 600kW power and advanced energy regeneration.
But this innovation isn’t just confined to the circuit. For Shoichi Matsumoto, CEO of AESC, the sport’s collaborative, high-stakes environment mirrors efforts to accelerate the global clean energy transition that companies like AESC are tackling through resilient supply chains, carbon-neutral operations and the creation of skilled, local jobs.
Panel 2: Innovating for a Circular Future – Materials, Mobility & the “S” in ESG
The second panel, expertly steered by Hideaki Yonekubo, COO of esa, shifted the focus from vehicles to the people and materials that power them. Featuring insights from Global Mobility Service (GMS), WHILL and Teijin, the discussion explored how innovation in circularity must extend to both the physical and social dimensions of sustainability.
Tokushi Nakashima of Global Mobility Service spotlighted the “circularity of people,” using technology to create access to mobility and employment for underserved communities. Through their IoT-enabled Mobility Service Platform, the company enables individuals without traditional credit access to auto-financing, helping to reintegrate them into the economy and fostering social empowerment.
Junpei Naito from WHILL emphasised the importance of emotional engagement in sustainable design, and empowering people with the autonomy to go where they want, when they want, regardless of ability. For circular solutions to succeed, people must actually want to use them. So, that means creating sustainable mobility solutions that people are not only able to use, but excited and proud to ride.
Yutaka Yagi of Teijin took the material perspective further. For him, circularity is about durability, traceability, and changing mindsets around the life of a product. By linking environmental data with storytelling, Teijin aims to encourage users to value and retain products longer, reinforcing circular behaviour through care, not just compliance.
The panel agreed on one key point: circularity is as much a technical challenge as it is a challenge of mindset and culture. Without shifts in human behaviour, no amount of innovation will move the needle fast enough.
Looking Forward: Circularity Needs Collaboration
One message echoed throughout both panels: circularity cannot happen in isolation. Whether it’s motorsport serving as a testbed for EV innovation, or companies reimagining mobility through material science and social equity, progress relies on collaboration across industries, sectors and borders.
If you would like to learn more about our Race Against Climate Change® events, or any of our partners, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at media@envision-racing.co.uk.
Before you go, why not join our efforts by making a climate pledge?
