Why This Electric Car Racing League Matters Even If You Don’t Care About Cars

Racing fans, the stereotype goes, tend to be "petrolheads" — people who love the ferocious growl of an internal-combustion engine, the unmistakeable smell of burning fuel and oil, and the adrenaline jolt from a nearly-1,000-horsepower car roaring past a thrilled crowd. Formula E, an upstart electric racing championship whose fifth season ends with a double-header championship in Brooklyn on July 13-14, has none of these things. But despite the naysayers, it's building a loyal fanbase anyway.

Racing fans, the stereotype goes, tend to be "petrolheads" — people who love the ferocious growl of an internal-combustion engine, the unmistakeable smell of burning fuel and oil, and the adrenaline jolt from a nearly-1,000-horsepower car roaring past a thrilled crowd. Formula E, an upstart electric racing championship whose fifth season ends with a double-header championship in Brooklyn on July 13-14, has none of these things. But despite the naysayers, it's building a loyal fanbase anyway.