Sustainability and innovation are key ingredients at the Renault and Nissan stands of this year's Paris Motor Show (4-19 October). Visitors to the biennial French auto show can see first-hand how both companies are transforming motoring with ecological, user-friendly technology.

Saturday, 13 September 2014 will go down in the history of motor racing as the day on which the first ever FIA Formula E championship race took place. Held in the streets of Beijing, the inaugural round was closely contested throughout.

On 13 September, motorsport will enter a new era with the first ever FIA Formula-e race, staged in China on the streets of Beijing. Contested in 200kW (270bhp) electric single-seater race cars, this championship is set to provide an important framework for research and development into “zero-emissions”* vehicles. Highly committed to electric vehicles with its Z.E.** range, Renault provided its expertise in the design of the Spark-Renault SRT_01E, the car that will be used by the ten teams competing in the championship.

Some of the world’s top racing drivers – including a Grand Prix winner, an Indycar champion, former F1 aces and up-and-coming stars – have had their first official taste of all electric racing.

The ten teams entered for the FIA Formula E series took to the Donington Park race circuit in the UK last week for the first official test. Everyone enjoyed the speed, handling and grip of the innovative Spark-Renault SRT_01E single-seater.

Renault, a pioneer in the world of electric vehicles and an active participant in motorsport ever since the brand was founded, was named last year as an official technical partner of the FIA Formula E Championship. With the competition’s inaugural race in Beijing, China, in September, 2014, looming fast, the French carmaker has announced that is to step up its involvement in the new series in the form of backing for e.dams.

Want to learn about how Renault and Nissan are advancing the state of the art in zero-emissions technology? Watch this video to learn about the Alliance’s electric racing plans for 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world’s oldest endurance race, and Formula E, the highest class of competition for pure electric vehicles.

Renault’s world-leading expertise in electric vehicle technology is on the right track. Literally. At the recent Frankfurt Motor Show, the company revealed its latest model: a single-seater racing car, powered by an advanced 270hp electric motor.

The Spark-Renault SRT_01E has been created for the world’s first pure EV championship. The FIA-sanctioned 2014 Formula E series kicks off next year and will see 20 identical Spark-Renault racers from ten teams taking part.

Recognising the zero-emission status of the 10-round championship, the races will all be held in the centre of some of the world’s largest cities. European races will take place in London, Rome and Berlin while the host cities in Asia are Beijing, Bangkok and Putrajava. When the series moves to the Americas, the teams will race in Los Angeles, Miami, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. The series will be held from September 2014 to June 2015.