The most sustainable squad on the grid becomes the first Formula E team in history to receive Three-Star Accreditation– the highest accolade in the FIA’s framework.

29 SEPTEMBER 2020, BANBURY, UK – Mahindra Racing is delighted to announce that it is the first Formula E team in history to receive the highest sustainability accolade by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), motorsport’s governing body.

The FIA Environmental Accreditation Programme is aimed at helping motorsport and mobility stakeholders worldwide to measure and enhance their environmental performance. By introducing a clear and consistent environmental management system, it provides stakeholders with a three-level framework against which to accredit their activities. After initially achieving Two-Star Accreditation in November 2016, which was reconfirmed after an audit in December 2018, the team has worked tirelessly to work towards excellence in the accreditation process.

Three-Star Accreditation translates as Best Practice. By awarding Mahindra Racing with the accolade, the FIA recognises that the team, which was the first OEM to commit to the world’s first all-electric racing championship, demonstrates best practice and commitment to seek

FOR continual improvement through the implementation of an environmental management system. Mahindra Racing is only the second motorsport team in the world to receive Three-Star, in addition to McLaren Racing Formula 1 Team.

Mahindra Racing’s efforts are, and will continue to be, in tandem with Mahindra Group’s commitment and quest to achieve group-wide carbon neutrality. Under the aegis of the Mahindra Hariyali initiative, the Group aims to increase the green cover by planting more and more trees and providing livelihood and nutritional security with a commitment to plant 1 million trees every year. With the annual commitment of one million trees met this year, the plantation stands at 18 million trees over the last 13 years. Hariyali means ‘greenery’ in Hindi.

The team’s news comes just days after Formula E,- which becomes a World Championship for the first time in the upcoming season,- announced it had become the first sport to achieve a net-zero carbon footprint dating back to inception. This announcement from the sport is also crucial to Mahindra Racing, as it means that the team has a net-zero carbon footprint on all race and test events, including freight, travel, event operations and race car production.

The team is committed to the FIA environmental certification programme by minimising its environmental impact and working towards achieving carbon neutrality. It takes learnings from advanced technologies on the race track to apply it to its road cars within its ‘Race to Road’ initiative, developing and promoting more sustainable transportation solutions.

The broader Mahindra Group sustainability efforts underpin Mahindra Racing’s efforts. Chairman Anand Mahindra is considered one of the world’s most innovative business leaders and has been an outspoken advocate of seizing the business opportunities associated with climate change; building sustainable and enduring businesses by rejuvenating the environment. The sustainability framework is a comprehensive one that guides Mahindra Group’s actions, and it has a long-term commitment towards the preservation and improvement of the environment. Its climate commitments include being a carbon-neutral group by 2040.It is a ‘water positive’ group and it owns 14 facilities that are zero-waste-to-Landfill certified (by Intertek), where it was able to recycle, reuse and compost over 140,000 tonnes of waste in 2018 alone.

Dilbagh Gill, Mahindra Racing CEO and Team Principal

“Sustainability is not a buzzword for us. It is ingrained into our ethos and a big part of the reason we are racing in Formula E; working to develop and promote cutting edge EV technology and to promote the ‘race to road’ programme to improve the next generation of consumer electric vehicles. Our parent company Mahindra Group is a pioneer in the development of electric vehicles. Formula E is an integral part of Mahindra’s vision to develop advanced yet affordable EV products. Over the six years of the Formula E project, we have been working tirelessly not only on our racing programme and ‘race to road’, but on walking the walk, in terms of our sustainability talk. I could not be prouder of the team for the hard work and dedication, which has now resulted in this historic moment of receiving Three-Star accreditation from the FIA. 2020 has been incredibly tough and, for me, it is a special moment to be able to take a huge positive step from the most challenging of situations.”

Jean Todt, FIA President

“As sustainable and responsible motorsport is a priority for the FIA, I am pleased that Mahindra Racing has achieved this milestone. Energy efficiency is in the DNA of the FIA and Formula E, and this new step forward is another proof of our commitment to environmental best practice. I now urge the other teams to walk in the footsteps of Mahindra Racing.”

Jamie Reigle, CEO, Formula E

“Many congratulations to Mahindra Racing for achieving FIA Three-Star Environmental Accreditation. Mahindra is recognised for its commitment to developing innovative, high-quality mass-market electric cars and shares Formula E’s vision that accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles is critical to counteracting climate change. Back in Season 1, Formula E was proud to become the first FIA championship to achieve Three-Star Accreditation. Today, Mahindra Racing, who have been on the grid since our inaugural race, becomes our first team confirmed to have achieved this landmark.”

Mahindra Racing

Mahindra Racing is a founding team – and the only Indian team – to compete in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, the world’s first all-electric street racing series. Mahindra Racing has an impressive stats sheet and is a multi-race winning outfit after scoring its breakthrough victory at the Berlin E-Prix in 2017. The squad is committed not only to pushing the limits of technology and innovation in the electric vehicle space, but to addressing the impact of climate change; it is the only Formula E team to be awarded the FIA Environmental Accreditation Three-Star rating.

ABB FIA Formula E Championship

The ABB FIA Formula E Championship is the closest and most competitive category in motorsport, with unpredictable and exciting electric racing in the centre of the world’s most iconic cities. Formula E is the fastest-growing series in motorsport and boasts the best roster in racing, where renowned road car manufacturers and automotive brands battle for points, position and bragging rights.

Mahindra Group

The Mahindra Group is a USD 19.4 billion federation of companies that enables people to rise through innovative mobility solutions, driving rural prosperity, enhancing urban living, nurturing new businesses and fostering communities. It enjoys a leadership position in utility vehicles, information technology, financial services and vacation ownership in India and is the world’s largest tractor company by volume. It also enjoys a strong presence in renewable energy, agribusiness, logistics and real estate development. Headquartered in India, Mahindra employs over 256,000 people across 100 countries.