When the ABB FIA Method E World Championship launched its first race by Beijing’s Olympic Park in 2014, the thought of all-electric motorsport nonetheless bordered on experimental. Batteries couldn’t but final a full race, and drivers needed to swap automobiles mid-competition. Simply over a decade later, Method E has developed into a worldwide leisure model broadcast in 150 international locations, driving each technological innovation and cultural change in sport.
“Gen4, that’s to come back subsequent 12 months,” says Dan Cherowbrier, Method E’s chief expertise and data officer. “You will note a extremely fairly spectacular automobile that begins us to query whether or not EV is there. It’s truly sooner—it’s truly greater than conventional [internal combustion engines] ICE.”
That acceleration isn’t simply occurring on the observe. Method E’s digital transformation, powered by its partnership with Infosys, is redefining what it means to be a fan. “It’s a motion to make motor sport accessible and thrilling for the brand new technology,” says principal technologist at Infosys, Rohit Agnihotri.
From real-time leaderboards and predictive instruments to personalised storylines that adapt to what particular person followers care most about—whether or not it’s a driver rivalry or battery efficiency—Method E and Infosys are utilizing AI-powered platforms to create fan experiences as dynamic because the races themselves. “Know-how isn’t just about assembly expectations; it’s elevating your complete fan expertise and making the game extra inclusive,” says Agnihotri.
AI can also be remodeling how the group itself operates. “Traditionally, we’d be going across the firm, banging on everybody’s doorways and dragging them in direction of expertise, making them use techniques, making them transfer issues to the cloud,” Cherowbrier notes. “What AI has achieved is it’s turned that round on its head, and we now have individuals turning up, banging on our door as a result of they wish to use this device, they wish to use that device.”
As audiences diversify and expectations evolve, Method E can also be a case research in sustainable innovation. Machine studying instruments now assist decide essentially the most carbon-optimal method to ship batteries throughout continents, whereas distant broadcast manufacturing has sharply lowered journey emissions and democratized the corporate’s workforce. These advances present how digital intelligence can develop attain with out deepening carbon footprints.
For Cherowbrier, this convergence of sport, sustainability, and expertise is just the start. With its data-driven strategy to efficiency, expertise, and impression, Method E is providing a glimpse into how leisure, innovation, and environmental duty can transfer ahead in tandem.
“Our purpose is evident,” says Agnihotri. “Assist Method E be essentially the most digital and sustainable motor sport on this planet. The longer term is electrical, and with AI, it’s extra partaking than ever.”
This episode of Enterprise Lab is produced in partnership with Infosys.
Full Transcript:
Megan Tatum: From MIT Know-how Evaluate, I’m Megan Tatum, and that is Enterprise Lab, the present that helps enterprise leaders make sense of latest applied sciences popping out of the lab, and into {the marketplace}.
The ABB FIA Method E World Championship, the world’s first all-electric racing collection, made its debut within the grounds of the Olympic Park in Beijing in 2014. A bit of greater than 10 years later, it’s a worldwide leisure model with 10 groups, 20 drivers, and broadcasts in 150 international locations. Know-how is central to how Method E is navigating that scale and to the way it’s delivering extra highly effective personalised experiences.
Two phrases for you: elevated fandom.
My company at the moment are Rohit Agnihotri, principal technologist at Infosys, and Dan Cherowbrier, CTIO of Method E.
This episode is produced in partnership with Infosys.
Welcome, Rohit and Dan.
Dan Cherowbrier: Hello. Thanks for having us.
Megan: Dan, as I discussed there, the primary season of the ABB FIA Method E World Championship launched in 2014. Are you able to speak us by how the primary all-electric motor sport has developed within the final decade? How has it modified by way of its scale, the markets it operates in, and in addition, its audiences, in fact?
Dan: When Method E launched again in 2014, there have been hardly any home EVs on the highway. And doubtless for those who’re from London, those you keep in mind are the hybrid Priuses; that was what we knew of actually. And on the time, they had been unable to get a battery large enough for a automobile to do a full race. So the primary technology of automobile, the primary couple of seasons, the driving force needed to do a pit cease halfway by the race, get out of 1 automobile, and get in one other automobile, after which stick with it, which sounds nearly farcical now, however it’s what you needed to do then to drive innovation, is to do this to be able to go to the subsequent stage.
Then in Gen2, that got here up 4 years later, that they had a battery large enough to start out full races and begin to truly make it a extremely good sport. Gen3, they’re going for some actual speeds and making it occur. Gen4, that’s to come back subsequent 12 months, you’ll see acceleration consistent with Method One. I’ve been lucky sufficient to see a number of the testing. You will note a extremely fairly spectacular automobile that begins us to query whether or not EV is there. It’s truly sooner, it’s truly greater than conventional ICE.
That’s the tech of the automobile. However then, for those who additionally take a look at the game and the way individuals have come to it and the followers and the demographic of the followers, loads has modified within the final 11 years. We had been out to enter season 12. Within the final 11 years, we’ve had an entire democratization of how individuals entry content material and what individuals need from content material. And as a brand new technology of fan coming by. This new technology of fan is youthful. They’re extra gender numerous. We’ve a lot nearer to 50-50 illustration in our fan base. And so they need issues personalised, they usually’re very demanding about how they need it and the expertise they anticipate. Now not are you simply capable of give them one race and everyone watches the identical factor. We have to make issues for them. You see that type of change that’s come by within the final 11 years.
Megan: It’s an enormous quantity of change in simply over a decade, isn’t it? To navigate. And I’m wondering, Rohit, what was the strategic plan for Infosys when associating with Method E? What did Infosys see in partnering with such a younger sport?
Rohit: Yeah. That’s an excellent query, Megan. Once we checked out Method E, we didn’t simply see a racing championship. We noticed the longer term. A sport, that’s electrical, sustainable, and digital first. That’s precisely the place Infosys needs to be, on the intersection of expertise, innovation, and objective. Our plan has three massive objectives. First, develop the fan base. Method E needs to succeed in 500 million followers by 2030. That’s not only a quantity. It’s a motion to make motor sport accessible and thrilling for the brand new technology. To make that occur, we’re constructing an AI-powered platform that provides personalised content material to the followers, so that each fan feels related and valued. Think about a fan in Tokyo getting race insights tailor-made for his or her favourite driver, whereas one other in London will get a sustainability story that issues to him. That’s the extent of personalization we’re aiming for.
Second, bringing expertise innovation. We’ve already launched the Stats Centre, which turns race knowledge into interactive tales. And shortly, Race Centre will take this to the subsequent degree with actual time leaderboards to the race or tracks, overtakes, assault mode timelines, and even AI generated dwell commentary. Followers is not going to simply watch, they are going to work together, predict podium finishes, and share their views globally. And third, helps sustainability. Method E is already net-zero, however now their purpose is to chop carbon by 45% by 2030. We’ll be enabling that by AI-driven sustainability, knowledge administration, monitoring each watt of vitality, each logistics choice. and modeling situations to make racing even greener. Partnering with a younger sport provides us an opportunity to form its digital future and present how expertise could make racing thrilling and accountable. For us, Method E isn’t just a sport, it’s a press release about the place the world is headed.
Megan: Improbable. 500 million followers, that’s an enormous quantity, isn’t it? And with extra scale typically comes a sort of higher expectation. Dan, I do know you touched on this a little bit in your first query, however what’s it that your followers now actually need from their interactions? Are you able to speak a bit extra about what experiences they’re searching for? And in addition, how complicated that basically is to ship that as nicely?
Dan: I believe a extremely telling factor in regards to the modern-day fan is I most likely can’t inform you what they need from their experiences, as a result of it’s particular person and it’s distinctive for every of them.
Megan: After all.
Dan: And it’s altering and it’s altering so quick. What someone needs this month goes to be completely different from what they need in a few months’ time. And we’re having to be taught to adapt to that. My CTO title, we frequently put deal with the expertise in the course of it. That’s what the T is. Truly, if you consider it, it’s continuous transformation officer. You’re continuously attempting to alter what you ship and the way you ship it. As a result of if followers come by, they discover new experiences, they discover that in different sports activities. Generally not in sports activities, they discover it outdoors, after which they’re coming in, they usually anticipate that from you. So how can we make them extra a part of the game, extra personalised expertise, get to know the athletes and the personalities and the characters inside it? We’re a really expertise centric sport. Lots of motor sport is, however actually, individuals wish to see individuals, proper? And even when it’s expertise, they wish to see individuals interacting with expertise, and it’s how do you get that out to indicate individuals.
Megan: Yeah, it’s no imply feat. Rohit, you’ve labored with manufacturers on delivering these type of fan experiences throughout completely different sports activities. Is motor sports activities maybe extra sophisticated than others, on condition that followers watch racing for various causes than only a win? They may very well be centered on crew dynamics, a specific driver, the best way the engine is constructed, and so forth and so forth. How does motor sports activities evaluate and the way essential is it subsequently, that Method E has embraced expertise to handle expectations?
Rohit: Yeah, that’s an attention-grabbing level. Motor sports activities are positively extra complicated than different sports activities. Followers don’t simply care about who wins, they care about how some observe crew methods, others love driver rivalries, and plenty of are fascinated by the automobile expertise. Method E provides one other layer, sustainability and electrical innovation. This makes personalization actually essential. Followers need greater than outcomes. They need tales and insights. Method E understood this early and embraced expertise.
Take into consideration the info behind a single race, lap instances, vitality utilization, battery efficiency, assault mode activation, pit methods, it’s a number of knowledge. If you happen to simply present the uncooked numbers, it’s overwhelming. However with Infosys Topaz, we flip that into easy and interesting tales. Followers can see how a driver fought again from tenth place to complete on the rostrum, or how a crew managed vitality higher to achieve an edge. And for brand spanking new followers, we’re including explainer movies and interactive instruments within the Race Middle, in order that they’ll find out about their sport simply. That is essential as a result of Method E remains to be younger, and plenty of followers are discovering it for the primary time. Know-how isn’t just about assembly expectations; it’s elevating your complete fan expertise and making the game extra inclusive.
Megan: There’s an terrible lot occurring there. What are a number of the different ways in which Method E has already put generative AI and different rising applied sciences to make use of? Dan, once we’ve spoken in regards to the demand for extra personalised experiences, for instance.
Dan: I see the implementation of AI for us in three areas. We’ve AI inside the sport. That’s in our DNA of the game. Now, every crew is utilizing that, however how can we use that as a championship as nicely? How can we make it a aggressive panorama? Now, we now have AI that’s within the fan-facing product. That’s what we’re working closely on Infosys with, however we even have it in our broadcast product. For example, you may need heard of a brilliant slow-mo digital camera. A brilliant slow-mo digital camera is principally, by taking three cameras and having them in precisely the identical place so that you just get 3 times the body fee, after which you are able to do a slow-motion shot from that. And so they was once actually costly. Fairly cumbersome cameras to place in. We are actually utilizing AI to take a standard digital camera and interpolate between two frames to make it into a brilliant gradual picture, and also you wouldn’t actually know the distinction. Now, the enjoyment of that, it means each digital camera can now be a brilliant slow-mo digital camera.
Megan: Wow.
Dan: In different methods, we use it a little bit bit in our graphics merchandise, and we iterate and we use it for issues like displaying driver audio. When the driving force is talking to his engineer or her engineer within the storage, we present that textual content now on display screen. We try this utilizing AI. We use AI to pick the distinction between the driving force and one other driver and the crew engineer or the crew principal and present that in a extremely great way.
And we wouldn’t have the ability to try this. We’re not large enough to have a crew of 24 individuals on stenographers typing. We’ve to make use of AI to have the ability to try this. That’s what’s actually helped us develop. After which the final one is, how we use it in our enterprise. As a result of finally, as we’ve obtained the followers, we’ve obtained the game, however we are also operating a enterprise and we now have to choose up these racetracks and transfer them world wide, and we now have all these workers who should get locations. We’ve insurance coverage who has to do all that sort of stuff, and we use it closely in that space, notably with regards to what has a carbon impression for us.
So issues like our freight and our journey. And we’re utilizing the AI instruments to inform us, a battery as an example, ought to we fly it? Ought to we ship it by sea freight? Ought to we ship it by row freight? Or ought to we simply have a number of them? And that type of relies upon. Now, a battery, if it was heavy, you’d suppose you most likely wouldn’t fly it. However truly, due to the supplies in it, due to the supply supplies that make it, we’re higher off flying it. We’ve used AI to work by all these completely different machinations of issues that may be too troublesome to do at velocity for an individual.
Megan: Properly, seems like there’s some fascinating issues occurring. I imply, in fact, for a worldwide model, there’s additionally the problem of working in several markets. You talked about transferring all the things world wide there. Every market with its personal authorized frameworks round knowledge privateness, AI. How has expertise additionally helped you navigate all of that, Dan?
Dan: The opposite actually attention-grabbing factor about AI is… I’ve labored in expertise management roles for a while now. And traditionally, we’d be going across the firm, banging on everybody’s doorways and dragging them in direction of expertise, making them use techniques, making them transfer issues to the cloud and issues like that. What AI has achieved is it’s turned that round on its head, and we now have individuals turning up, banging on our door as a result of they wish to use this device, they wish to use that device. And we’re attempting to accommodate all of that and it’s an excellent pleasure to see individuals which might be so eager. AI is driving the tech adoption normally, which actually helps the enterprise.
Megan: Dan, because the world’s first all-electric motor sport collection, sustainability is clearly an actual cornerstone of what Method E is seeking to do. Are you able to share with us how expertise helps you to realize a few of your ambitions with regards to sustainability?
Dan: We’ve been the one sport with a licensed net-zero pathway, and we now have to remain that half. It’s a extremely core elementary a part of our DNA. I sit on our administration crew right here. There’s a sustainability VP that sits there as nicely, who checks and challenges all the things we do. She appears on the knowledge facilities we use, why we use them, why we’ve made the choices we’ve made, to guarantee that we’re making all of them for the appropriate causes and the appropriate methods. We particularly embed expertise in a few methods. One is, we talked about a little bit bit earlier, on our freight. Method E’s freight for the entire championship might be akin to 1 Method One crew, however it’s nonetheless by far, our largest contributor to our impression. So we glance about how we are able to guarantee that we’ve refined that to get the minimal quantity of air freight and sea freight, and use native wherever we are able to. That’s additionally a part of our pledge about investing within the communities that we race in.
The second then is about our workers journey. And we’ve achieved a extremely massive piece of labor over the past 4 to 5 years, partly accelerated by the covid-19 period truly, of doing distant working and distant TV manufacturing. Was once historically, you’ll fly 100 plus individuals out to racetracks, after which they’d make the tv all on web site in vans, after which they’d be satellite tv for pc distributed out of the venue. Now, what we do is we put in some web connections, twin and numerous web connections, and we stream each single digital camera again.
Megan: Proper.
Dan: Which means on web site, we solely want digital camera operators. A few of them truly, are remotely operated anyway, however we want digital camera operators, after which some engineering groups to only hold all the things operating. After which again in our house base, which is in London, within the UK, we now have our distant manufacturing heart the place we layer on course, graphics, audio, replay, crew radio, all of these bits that break the colour and make this system and add to that vital physique of individuals. We do that each one remotely now. Actually attention-grabbing truly, a bit. In order that’s the carbon sustainability story, however there’s a additional ESG piece that comes out of it and we haven’t actually accommodated once we went into it, is the variety in our workforce by doing that. We had been discovering that we had fairly a younger, equally numerous workforce till across the age of 30. After which as soon as that occurred, then we had been discovering we had been dropping girls, and that’s often because they didn’t wish to journey.
Megan: Proper.
Dan: And that’s the age of individuals beginning to have kids, and issues had been beginning to change. After which we had some males that had been touring as a substitute, they usually weren’t seeing their kids and it was type of dividing it unnecessarily. However by going distant, by having a lot of our individuals capable of remotely… Or even when they do should journey, they’re not touring each single week. They’re now doing that one in three. They’re capable of preserve the careers and the roles they wish to do, while having a household life-style. And it additionally simply makes a greater product by having individuals in that atmosphere.
Megan: That’s such an attention-grabbing perspective, isn’t it? It’s a method of environmental sustainability intersects with social sustainability. And Rohit, and your work are so attention-grabbing. And Rohit, are you able to share any of the ways in which Infosys has labored with Method E, by way of the function of expertise as we are saying, in furthering these ambitions round sustainability?
Rohit: Yeah. Infosys understands that sustainability is on the coronary heart of Method E, and it’s a giant a part of why this partnership issues. Method E is already net-zero licensed, however now, they’ve an formidable purpose to chop carbon emissions by 45%. Infosys helps in two methods. First, we now have constructed AI-powered sustainability knowledge instruments that make carbon reporting correct and traceable. Each watt of vitality, each logistic choice, each materials use will be tracked. Second, we use predictive analytics to mannequin situations, like how altering race logistics or battery expertise impression emissions so Method E could make smarter, greener choices. For us, it’s about turning sustainability from a report into an motion plan, and making Method E a worldwide chief in inexperienced motor sport.
Megan: And in April 2025, Method E working with Infosys launched its Stats Centre, which gives followers with interactive entry to the performances of their drivers and groups, key milestones and narratives. I do know you touched on this earlier than, however I’m wondering for those who might inform us a bit extra in regards to the design of that platform, Rohit, and the way it matches into Method E’s wider plans to personalize that fan expertise?
Rohit: Certain. The Stats Centre was a giant step ahead. Earlier than this, followers had entry to fundamental statistics on the web site and the cellular app, however nothing advised the total story and we wished to alter that. Constructed on Infosys Topaz, the Stats Centre makes use of AI to show race knowledge into interactive tales. Followers can discover key stat playing cards that adapt to race timelines, and even chat with an AI companion to get immediate solutions. It’s like having an individual race analyst at your fingertips. And we’re going additional. Subsequent 12 months, we’ll launch Race Centre. It’ll have dwell knowledge boards, 2D observe maps displaying each driver’s place, overtakes and extra assault timelines, and AI-generated commentary. Followers can predict podium finishes, vote for the driving force of the race, and share their views on social media. Plus, we’re including video explainers for brand spanking new followers, masking guidelines, methods, and automobile expertise. Our purpose is straightforward: make each second thrilling and simple to grasp. Whether or not you’re a hardcore fan or somebody watching Method E for the primary time, you’ll really feel related and knowledgeable.
Megan: Improbable. Sounds good. And as you’ve defined, Dan, leveraging knowledge and AI can include these big advantages with regards to the depth of fan expertise that you would be able to ship, however it might probably additionally expose you to some challenges. How are you navigating these at Method E?
Dan: The AI technology has offered two vital challenges to us. One is that conventional web optimization, conventional SEO, goes out the window. Proper? You are actually how can we design and construct our techniques and the way can we populate them with the appropriate content material and the appropriate knowledge, in order that the engines are selecting it up appropriately and displaying it? The way in which that the foundational fashions are constructed and the velocity and the cadence of which they’re up to date, means very often… We’re a really fast-changing group. We’re a fast-changing product. Typically, the fashions don’t sustain. And that’s as a result of they’re a time limit once they had been educated. And that’s one thing that the massive organizations, the massive tech organizations will repair with time. However for now, what we now have to do is we now have to find out about how we are able to current our fan-facing, web-facing merchandise to indicate that appropriately. That’s all about having actually correct first-party content material, successfully earned media. That’s the piece we have to do.
Then the second type of problem is unfortunately, while these instruments can be found to all of us, and we’re utilizing them successfully, so are one other a part of the expertise panorama, and that’s the cybersecurity principally they arrive with. If you happen to take a look at the velocity of the cadence and severity of hacks which might be occurring now, it’s simply rising and rising and rising, and that’s as a result of they’ve entry to those instruments too. And we’re having to essentially up our sport and professionalize. And that’s actually arduous for an revolutionary group. You don’t wish to shut all the things down. You don’t wish to shield all the things an excessive amount of since you need individuals to have the ability to strive new issues. Proper? If I block all the things to solely issues that the IT crew had heard of, we’d by no means get something new in, and it’s about getting that stability proper.
Megan: Proper.
Dan: Rohit, you most likely have related experiences?
Megan: How has Infosys labored with Method E to assist it navigate a few of that, Rohit?
Rohit: Yeah. Infosys has helped Method E deal with a number of the challenges in three key methods, simplify complicated race knowledge into partaking fan expertise by platforms like Stats Centre, constructing a safe and scalable cloud knowledge spine for the real-time insights, and enabling sustainability objectives with AI-driven carbon monitoring and predictive analytics. This answer makes the game interactive, extra digital, and extra accountable.
Megan: Improbable. I puzzled if we might shut with a little bit of a future ahead look. Are you able to share with us any improvements on the horizon at Method E that you’re actually enthusiastic about, Dan?
Dan: We’ve talked about the Race Centre goes to launch within the subsequent couple of months, however the actually thrilling factor for me is we’ve obtained a tremendous season forward of us. It’s the final season of our Gen3 automobile, with 10 actually thrilling groups on the grid. We’re going at velocity with our tech innovation roadmap and what our followers need. And we’re increase in direction of our Gen4 automobile, which is able to come out for season 13 in a 12 months’s time. That may get launched in 2026, and I believe it will likely be a sport changer in how individuals understand electrical motor sport and electrical automobiles normally.
Megan: It seems like there’s all types of thrilling issues occurring. And Rohit too, what’s developing by way of this partnership that you’re actually trying ahead to sharing with everybody?
Rohit: Two issues stand out for me. First is the AI-powered fan knowledge platform that I’ve already spoken about. Second is the launch of Race Centre. It’s going to alter how followers expertise dwell racing. And past last engagement, we’re serving to Method E lead in sustainability with AI instruments that mannequin carbon impression and optimize logistics. This implies each race will be smarter and greener. Our purpose is evident: assist Method E be essentially the most digital and sustainable motor sport on this planet. The longer term is electrical, and with AI, it’s extra partaking than ever.
Megan: Improbable. Thanks a lot, each. That was Rohit Agnihotri, principal technologist at Infosys, and Dan Cherowbrier, CITO of Method E, whom I spoke with from Brighton, England.
That’s it for this episode of Enterprise Lab. I’m your host, Megan Tatum. I’m a contributing editor and host for Insights, the customized publishing division of MIT Know-how Evaluate. We had been based in 1899 on the Massachusetts Institute of Know-how, and you’ll find us in print, on the internet and at occasions annually world wide. For extra details about us and the present, please try our web site at technologyreview.com.
This present is out there wherever you get your podcasts. And for those who loved this episode, we hope you’ll take a second to fee and evaluation us. Enterprise Lab is a manufacturing of MIT Know-how Evaluate and this episode was produced by Giro Studios. Thanks for listening.
This content material was produced by Insights, the customized content material arm of MIT Know-how Evaluate. It was not written by MIT Know-how Evaluate’s editorial workers. It was researched, designed, and written by human writers, editors, analysts, and illustrators. This contains the writing of surveys and assortment of knowledge for surveys. AI instruments which will have been used had been restricted to secondary manufacturing processes that handed thorough human evaluation.
