Formula E to kick off in 2014It would have been inconceivable just a few years ago, but this week the FIA opened the door to a new era of motor racing by introducing a competition for electric cars.
Given the leaps and bounds made in modern technology, from 2014 the Formula E championship will be up and running, with the E in this particular case referring to electric energy.
It could be the first step on what will obviously be a very long road towards the potential dissolution of Formula One as we know it.
After all, in a world where natural energy resources such as oil, coal and gas are slowly becoming exhausted, how much longer can a sport that consumes 200 litres of fuel for a 300-mile race be sustainable?
The teams do all they can to offset their carbon footprint via a variety of means, but by their own definition, the FIA have made clear Formula E "represents a vision for the future of the motor industry over the coming decades".
We already have electric cars on our roads, so if motor sport's world governing body and Formula E can accelerate more quickly the necessary technology that will assist in such cars becoming more dominant than their petrol or diesel-powered equivalents, so much the better it would seem.
What that would mean for F1 is anybody's guess. Could it be the likes of Ferrari and McLaren in 20 to 30 years' time will be the main protagonists in an electric showdown on four wheels?
Could electric power replicate the speeds we will see throughout the coming weekend at arguably the greatest circuit in the world - Spa-Francorchamps?
One guarantee is electric cars will be devoid of the sounds and vibrancy we see today in F1, that unmistakable whiney roar of the current V8 engines that is part of the attraction of the sport.
Formula E may be the future, but you are unlikely to hear it coming.
The one draw, however, in reaching an agreement to licence the commercial rights with a consortium of international investors, is that the championship would "ideally", according to the FIA, be staged in the heart of the world's leading cities, around their main landmarks.
No obvious noise pollution for local residents to object to then, as has often been the case when F1 has attempted to pitch up in a major metropolis.
It could be Formula E gets to race around the streets of London before Mr E, a certain Bernie Ecclestone, realises his dream of F1 flashing past such sights as Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament.
Demonstration runs are planned for next year, followed in 2014 by the championship itself, with an objective of 10 teams and 20 drivers participating.
Looking ahead to the series, FIA president Jean Todt said: "This new competition, at the heart of major cities, is certain to attract a new audience.
"It will offer both entertainment and a new opportunity to share the FIA values and objectives of clean energy, mobility and sustainability with a wider and younger audience."
It could be suggested Todt is poking an accusing finger at F1 as its attraction to that "younger audience" has waned over time, a fact the sport is aware of, yet seems unable to halt the slide.
It appears fanciful, though, to suggest if the glitz, glamour and power of F1 are unable to draw in youngsters in this computer-dominated age, then electric motor racing will ultimately do so.
Trumpeting its prospects, Alejandro Agag, the CEO of commercial rights holders Formula E Holdings Ltd, said: "We see this as a great opportunity to create a new and exciting spectacle mixing racing, clean energy and sustainability, looking to the future.
"We expect this championship to become the framework for research and development around the electric car, a key element for the future of our cities."
There can be no doubt that with Formula E, the FIA are determined to play their part in making the planet a greener, cleaner one.
As professor Burkhard Goeschel, president of the FIA Electric and New Energies Championships Commission, said: "Formula E will be a milestone for the future of motorsports, driven by the FIA.
"It follows the global megatrends of our world like sustainability, the growth of the megacities and the digital world of connectivity."
Connectivity? Oh yeah, where's the nearest powerpoint?
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If you don't like it, don't watch it, its not replacing another series. Its almost like watching a war between ps3 and xbox fans but with petrol/diesel vs electric.
