ENVISION RACING AND PULSAR HELIUM ANNOUNCE MULTI-YEAR PARTNERSHIP
13 March 2023
Primary helium company partners with ‘the Greenest Team on the Greenest Grid’ as it looks to lead the way in the development of primary helium projects.
Pulsar Helium Inc (Pulsar) and leading Formula E race team, Envision Racing have today announced a new multi-year partnership that will see Pulsar become an Official Partner of the Team.
The collaboration with Envision Racing will see Pulsar become both a partner of the Team and of its unique ‘Race Against Climate Change™’ sustainability programme, created to help amplify the fight against climate change and accelerate the movement to zero emission vehicles.
The parties will work together on promoting a healthier planet through their respective global platforms. Pulsar is focused on growing its business and the team will provide relevant and authentic opportunities, including branding, story-telling and unique experiences to support the ongoing development of the Pulsar brand and to engage with investors and customers.
Pulsar is a dedicated developer of primary helium projects. The company’s personnel include seasoned helium explorers, developers, operators, financiers, and researchers. Pulsar is part of the green transition targeting production of carbon neutral helium from high-grade primary helium gas that is not associated with hydrocarbon production – a strategically significant differentiator from current production and needed for a zero-carbon world.
Commenting on the announcement, Sylvain Filippi, Managing Director at Envision Racing, said: “We are proud to welcome Pulsar Helium to the Envision Racing family of partners. Helium is key component in automotive engineering and primary helium will play an important role in the green transition and Pulsar’s commitment to primary helium was a great fit for us and our audience. We’re looking forward to working with the team.”
Thomas Abraham-James, President & CEO of Pulsar Helium Inc, added: “As a committed advocate for sustainable solutions, partnering with Envision Racing is a proud moment for Pulsar Helium Inc. Our shared vision for a cleaner future makes this partnership a winning combination.”
As one of the founding teams of the FIA Formula E World Championship, Envision Racing — owned by world-leading greentech company Envision Group — boasts an impressive record both on and off the track and currently sit second in the team standings.
Aside from securing 12 wins and 41 podiums in their 105 races, Envision Racing is the first carbon-neutral Formula E team (PAS 2060). It is also one of a handful to achieve the FIA’s Three Star Sustainability Accreditation, and the only team to partner with the UK government to support their ‘Together For Our Planet’ initiative and the UN’s COP26 global summit.
About Pulsar Helium
Helium exploration and development is a nascent industry, brought into existence by a sudden and significant supply deficit that has persisted for over a decade and shows no sign of ending. Pulsar exists to develop its helium assets, with the objective of bringing stability via sustainable supply that is not associated with hydrocarbon production.
Pulsar’s assets include the flagship Topaz project in the USA with a helium content of 10.5%, positioning it among the world’s highest-grade occurrences. Efforts are focused on fast-tracking activities at Topaz to realise its potential.
Helium uses are abundant, the most significant being in superconducting magnets, semiconductor manufacturing, and as a pressuring agent in the fuel tanks of spacecraft.
Envision Racing Formula E Team is one of the founding and most successful outfits in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship – the world’s first-ever net-zero carbon sport.
Owned by Envision Group, it has sustainability running through its DNA and exists for one simple purpose; inspiring generations to take action to tackle climate change and transition to e-mobility and renewable energy in order to accelerate the Race Against Climate Change.
Formula E is an environment where high performance and sustainability powerfully co-exist and Envision Racing is known as the ‘greenest team on the greenest grid’, being the first and only carbon-neutral certified team (PAS 2060), awarded the FIA’s 3 Star Sustainability Accreditation, and the first to sign up to the UNFCCC Sports for Climate Action Framework.
For the 2022/23 Formula E season, Envision Racing will see Sebastien Buemi begin his first season with the team alongside New Zealand driver Nick Cassidy. Overseeing Envision Racing is Managing Director Sylvain Filippi, who has been with the team since day one. Meanwhile, Envision Group’s Franz Jung continues his role as Chairman of the Board.
Envision Group is a world-leading green technology company and net-zero technology partner. With the mission of ‘solving the challenges for a sustainable future’, Envision continues to promote wind and solar as the ‘new coal’, batteries and hydrogen fuels as the ‘new oil’, the AIoT network as the ‘new grid’, net zero industrial parks as the ‘new infrastructure’ and an ecosystem of net zero technology as the ‘new industry’, to create a net zero world.
Envision designs, sells, and operates smart wind turbines, energy storage systems, and green hydrogen solutions through Envision Energy; AIoT-powered batteries through Envision AESC; and the world’s largest AIoT operating system through Envision Digital. It also manages Envision-Sequoia Capital Net Zero Fund and owns the Envision Racing Formula E team.
Envision Group was ranked among the Top 10 of the 2019 ‘World’s 50 Smartest Companies’ by the MIT Technology Review. In October 2021, Envision was ranked second in the world on the Fortune “Change the World” list.
As an innovation powerhouse, it leverages a global network of R&D and engineering centers across China, United States, UK, France, Germany, Denmark, Singapore, Japan etc, leading global green technology development.
On April 22, 2021, Envision Group announced it will achieve carbon neutrality in operations by 2022 and achieve carbon neutrality throughout its value chain by 2028.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Envision Racing and 11th Hour Racing Team show off sustainable practices and sporting excellence in Cape Town
10 March 2023
Formula E’s Envision Racing Team and The Ocean Race’s 11th Hour Racing Team came together in South Africa last month to showcase elite sport and sustainability.
To mark the occasion of the 2023 Cape Town E-Prix in February, Formula E team Envision Racing, part of the world’s first-ever net zero carbon sport, and 11th Hour Racing Team, which sails in the world’s longest and toughest sporting event, The Ocean Race, came together to showcase how elite international sport and sustainability can powerfully co-exist.
Combining ‘racing and reason’, Envision Racing drivers Nick Cassidy and Sebastien Buemi together with Envision Racing Managing Director and CTO, Sylvain Filippi, joined 11th Hour Racing Team skipper, Charlie Enright (USA), and trimmer, Justine Mettraux (SUI) to discuss the pioneering sustainability initiatives each team and sport are engaged with while getting to grips with sailing a 60-foot, state-of-the-art foiling IMOCA race boat.
Enright and Mettraux then joined the Envision team in their garage as they prepped for the historic race in South Africa, which eventually saw both Envision drivers score points finishes.
Similar to Formula E’s latest GEN3 car – the fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient electric race car ever made – the 11th Hour Racing Team boat operates with cutting edge sustainable technology and innovations onboard, while the team champions broader initiatives around the importance of ocean health for the future of our planet.
While the GEN3 race car’s tyres are made from 26% of sustainably sourced materials; has linen interwoven into the carbon fibre body work to reduce weight, increase strength and be more circular, is net zero by design and can be fully recycled at its end of life, 11th Hour Racing Team has integrated more than 100kg of alternative materials into its construction including flax, bamboo and bio-materials, to drive change within the sailing industry and push forward recommendations for regulations to reduce the sport’s impact on the planet.
Commenting on time spent with 11th Hour Racing Team, Sylvain Filippi, Managing Director and CTO of Envision Racing, said: “Sport has a powerful role to play in influencing and inspiring fans to tackle the climate crisis. Both on and off the track and through our unique platform Race Against Climate Change™ – Envision Racing is passionate about making the transition to e-mobility and renewable energy a global reality.
“It was fantastic to hear from the 11th Hour team on their sustainability actions and for us, it underlines how vital it is that more sporting bodies work together to raise awareness and help influence behaviour change.”
Charlie Enright from 11th Hour Racing Team also commented: “Despite us racing on water and Sébastian and Nick racing on land, it is always fascinating to see so many similarities. Both sports are endurance, high-tech, performance-driven, and with sustainable innovation at the heart of what we all do.
“At 11th Hour Racing Team we are focused on reducing our impact on the planet, driving innovation within the marine industry, and supporting organisations that directly address local solutions to the global problems of climate change. We can all learn from each other – and meeting with the Envision Racing Team has been a lot of fun.”
The 2023 Cape Town E-Prix was the first ABB FIA Formula E World Championship race to be held in Sub-Saharan Africa. Thousands of fans packed the grandstands and millions more around the world tuned in to watch the race live on TV, as Nick Cassidy eventually came away with a third place finish against the spectacular backdrop of Table Mountain.
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship circuit in Cape Town proved to be one of the season’s fastest tracks. The flowing lines of the new street circuit were certainly a true test for the GEN3, which is capable of reaching 322kph from 600kW of total power and sees more than 40% of the energy used actually created during the race itself via regenerative braking.
11th Hour Racing Team set off on Leg 3 of The Ocean Race 2022-23 the day after the Formula E event finished, embarking on the longest leg in the 50-year history of the race. The team will race its IMOCA 60 race boat for over 35 days (top speed 40 miles per hour!) over 12,750-nautical mile (14,672-miles/23,613-kilometers) through the Southern Ocean – with the final destination being Itajaí, Brazil.
Fans across Europe can enjoy live and on-demand coverage of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and The Ocean Race on Eurosport, the Eurosport App and Discovery+.
CLIMATE CHANGE
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2023: CELEBRATING REPRESENTATION IN EVERY DEPARTMENT!
8 March 2023
Envision Racing is proud to mark the occasion of International Women’s Day by shining a spotlight on the integral contribution women make to the team each and every day.
Since the end of 2022 every single department within the team has contained at least one female presence, from senior management through to the driver line-up and into engineering, events and the marketing and communications teams.
Envision Racing currently sit second in the Formula E constructors’ championship after an impressive start to the 2022/23 season, with podium finishes at Hyderabad and Cape Town already secured.
Alice Powell is the team’s reserve and test driver, providing invaluable insight and expertise to help prepare the team for race weeks around the world.
Elsewhere female members of the staff are responsible for everything from the preparation, upgrades and upkeep of the race car to organising race logistics, partnership activations and press relations.
Alongside the team’s stated purpose of inspiring and accelerating the race against climate change, the level of representation across the staff underlines how careers in all aspects of motorsport are attainable to everyone.