Phoenix wants to host its first E-Prix in 2027: Formula E "aligns perfectly with us"

Efforts to organise a Formula E race on the streets of the fifth-largest city in the United States of America have been underway in Phoenix, Arizona, since 2023. The local organisers are confident that their city will be included in the race calendar for the first Gen4 season of the electric series (2026/27) and that Formula E will hold its first race in Arizona in spring 2027. However, there is still a lot of work to be done: an initial track design was rejected by local politicians.

The city of Phoenix wants to present itself as a progressive metropolis by hosting a Formula E race. The aim is to take up the idea of sustainability, which is at the heart of the racing series' DNA - after all, Formula E has regularly been recognised as the most sustainable racing series in the world in recent years. Phoenix also has similar goals and has been doing pioneering work with the Waymo autonomous vehicle service since 2020. The city also advocates for the use of cleaner energy.

"This race, unlike any other sporting event that we host, aligns perfectly with (Phoenix’s) brand of manufacturing and developing clean technology, sustainability and resourcefulness," says Brad Wright, attorney and Phoenix Host Committee member at Cronkite News. "his is about accelerating the use of electric vehicles."

"We see this as an opportunity to shine a huge global spotlight on this region, on Arizona as a leader in clean technology and sustainability," he continues. "We manufacture the technology that goes into this here. We build the chips that drive them here. So it is totally on brand with who we are as a community and as an economy."

However, there are still difficulties in finding a suitable route. Three possible routes were discussed with the Formula E delegation for a race in the city: A course around the Arizona State Capitol Building, a course around the Arizona State Fairgrounds and a course around Papago Park, which was favoured by Formula E. However, the city of Tempe on the outskirts of Phoenix, on whose territory the circuit would be located, rejected this proposal for cost reasons. The efforts of the organising committee in Phoenix are now concentrating on the Arizona State Fairgrounds. Formula E also already races at a fairground in London and Tokyo.

"Not a ton of options for a places that is central & easy to get to"

However, reactivating the Formula 1 circuit used between 1989 and 1991 in the area of Washington Street and Jefferson Street is not an issue. "We quickly figured out that those circuits weren’t great anymore because of the light rail that has since been added downtown," describes Wright. "And a lot more operating businesses downtown would have conflicts with the race."

As a long-time Formula E connoisseur, this statement almost automatically makes you think of the Canadian city of Montreal. The one-off race held in 2017 was not very popular with residents and shop owners in the immediate vicinity, making the E-Prix one of the key issues in the subsequent mayoral election campaign. The new mayor Valerie Plante subsequently made good on her election promise and cancelled the contract with Formula E.

"Within the city of Phoenix, it’s really been a function of finding a location that lays out well for a race, has all the turns and runouts and things that make for an exciting race," describes Wright. "These races require a lot of additional space for staging. You’ve got to build the garages, the pits, the grandstands. There’s a big fan zone where this will activate. You think we’ve got a ton of area around Phoenix, but when you really drill that down to find a place that’s central, where it’s easy for people to get to, there aren’t a ton of options."

Nevertheless, Wright believes he is on the right track and is optimistic that Formula E will race in Phoenix for the first time in around a year and a half: "We’re hopeful now (Formula E) will add us to their annual circuit in the first quarter of 2027."

This will not be known for sure until June 2026 at the earliest, when the FIA World Motor Sport Council traditionally meets to decide on the Formula E racing calendar for the following season.