Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds exclusive: "Internal combustion engines are the sound of inefficiency"

Although Formula E regularly publishes information about its global growth, it is still ridiculed by many "classic motorsport fans". Especially at a time when Formula 1 is arguably experiencing the biggest boom in its history, there is a potentially large target group for the electric series. However, Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds sees two obstacles that are currently making it difficult for the racing series to appeal to these fans.

Jeff Dodds took over just over two years ago as CEO of Formula E Operations, the company behind the Formula E World Championship. The Briton, who took over from Jamie Reigle, has since been responsible for a number of measures aimed at attracting new fans who have had little contact with motorsport to date: In addition to the Evo Sessions, in which celebrities and influencers were allowed to drive the Formula E cars, among other things, a collaboration with YouTuber MrBeast was also announced. However, fans of other racing series were hardly able to get excited.

"When you talk about classic motorsport fans, let's narrow that down to Formula 1 fans, okay?", says Dodds in an exclusive interview with e-Formula.news. "The things that we bring that I think motor sport fans love: We're single seaters, open wheels, close combat racing, very, I use unpredictable in the term of there's opportunities on the grid for people to break through and to stand on podiums. You saw Dan Ticktum win his first ever race in Jakarta."

"There are 2 things that are working against us"

"So I think all of these things people love," he is certain. "The cars are getting faster, most of all fans love the fact the cars are getting faster. Perhaps the things, the two things that we have going against us: We're 10 years old, so we're not 75 years old like Formula One or 100 years old like some of the historic racing series. And the other thing you regularly sighted is sound. So they're the two things that people talk to me about."

"As good as any of us are, we can't go back and create a longer history," explains Dodds. "You know, we have to lean in to the fact we're young and that we're disruptive and that we're trying to try new things, which is why we attract new fans. And on the sound part, the reality is, you know, the sound of motorsport is a sound derived from internal combustion engine, which is a technology 130 years old. So it's the sound of inefficiency, it's a sound of lost energy into the atmosphere."

"Why would you make state of the art technology sound like old technology?"

"Our cars sound like fighter jets, not like old cars because they're very efficient cars, they're over 90% efficient, the loss of energy is tiny," he continues. "To make our cars sound like old cars is never going to happen, why would you make state of the art technology sound like old technology. So we're not going to do that."

The problem will be solved over time, however, says Dodds. "The new audience coming through, there will be a point where that's what they know. That's the sound of a vehicle for them. And I think we have to embrace that and lean towards it rather than continually try and defend why we don't sound like old cars."

"And in time, hopefully people enjoy very fast racing with very exciting cars (in Formula E), arguably faster than Formula One cars," he adds. "And they accept they sound like fighter jets overtaking each other, or like a podfighter from Star Wars or like Tron. And that they don"t sound like old cars."