According to reports, the European Commission has approached the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), which governs Formula 1 (F1), about launching an electric car, go-karts and single-seater racing events.
It is hoped that the high-profile nature of F1 will help generate awareness of the growth of electric and hybrid motoring, with brands such as , Renault and Vauxhall each plotting launches.
, discussions have been taking place between FIA president Jean Todt and the European Union's industry commissioner Antonio Tajani about how to raise interest in more energy-efficient cars.
Tajani, to the FT, said: "One of the priorities of my mandate is to give a concrete start to the ultimate conversion of the European car industry."
In the UK, the government has committed £43m to a scheme that offers consumers £5,000 towards the purchase of an electric car, funding up to 8,600 cars, but an amount considerably lower than the £230m originally promised by the previous Labour government.
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