There is something about ex-Formula 1 champion Nico Rosberg that I could sense when I briefly met him at CES and, of all the places, at the Byton event. It turns out Nico Rosenberg is a big electric mobility fan, and he is also putting his money where his mouth is.
When Formula 1 Champions Turn To Electric Mobility
Nico Rosberg is one of those champions we love to admire. After tenacious years on Formula 1, he snatched the championship title in 2016 and did the unimaginable, hung up his F1 hat. We thought that was it for the young champion, who would probably open his own racing team or something else regarding racing ventures. But not for Nico.
I was surprised to see Nico Rosberg in CES at the Byton event and hear Byton’s CEO & Founder talk about Nico’s interest in electric mobility. Later on, I learned he was picking up his father’s mobility company.
I'm going sideways at #CES! awesome second day in Las Vegas driving the @SchaefflerGroup Mover. check out the vlog 😉➡️ https://t.co/94CgAyLPGJ pic.twitter.com/WYIbYmjDl8
— Nico Rosberg (@NicoRosberg) January 10, 2019
Now speaking at Davos, in Switzerland, at the World Economic Forum — where global leaders decide on the future for the rest of the world — Nico is making sure anyone with ears heeds the message. He added that everything’s going electric, even Formula 1 at some point will have to.
Nico’s plan is simple: Bring electric mobility to the mass. He’s doing this by taking over his father’s 20-year-old company. It presented a shuttle platform for Schaeffler as an R&D project. Shaeffler also presented at CES 2019 its wild 1,200 hp Schaeffler 4ePerformance Concept Car. The electric vehicle (EV) sports a mouth-watering 880 kW (approx. 1,200 PS) of power with 4 in-wheel electric motors from the Abt Schaeffler FE01 Formula E racing car (season II) — 220 kW each (Pmax).
Nico has also invested in the Formula E series, Uber, and SpaceX.
When Formula 1 Goes To Formula E
I’d be remiss to not mention the early champion who showed a leadership gene by switching over from Formula 1 to Formula E, Lucas di Grassi. Lucas has been a strong proponent of Formula E since its inception. I spoke with him in Long Beach, California, in 2015 and he told me that all of the Formula E cars racing at the same time were about the same decibel level as one Formula 1 car. But what was even more fascinating was his enthusiasm and deep understanding of what it takes to race an EV.
Nico has a straightforward message for Davos attendees, according to the The Economic Times: “There are so many people here with great ideas, then everyone goes away, then nothing happens. Everyone is looking at their phones during panels and not listening.”
In other words, turn your words into actions and put those smartphones down. As to Nico, he also fronts the “When You Drive, Never Drink” campaign. He will announce his own EV startup in the next two weeks and will reportedly focus on green technologies and the events industry. The company is backed with his own money, as well as with partners from the traditional mobility industry.
Photos of Nico Rosberg by Stefan Brending /
Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News!
Have a tip for CleanTechnica, want to advertise, or want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.
Former Tesla Battery Expert Leading Lyten Into New Lithium-Sulfur Battery Era — Podcast:
I don't like paywalls. You don't like paywalls. Who likes paywalls? Here at CleanTechnica, we implemented a limited paywall for a while, but it always felt wrong — and it was always tough to decide what we should put behind there. In theory, your most exclusive and best content goes behind a paywall. But then fewer people read it! We just don't like paywalls, and so we've decided to ditch ours. Unfortunately, the media business is still a tough, cut-throat business with tiny margins. It's a never-ending Olympic challenge to stay above water or even perhaps — gasp — grow. So ...
