One team, two wheels, and 80 days to remember. (Photo : PSFK)
"80 Day Race" co-founders Frank Manders and Jenny Berlo were inspired to stage an around-the-globe race after watching Jackie Chan's 2004 movie "Around the World in 80 Days."
The movie was written by Jules Verne and was published in 1873.
As a rule, participants will be granted to enter a land-going vehicle of their choice. It comes with an exemption that the vehicles should not use internal combustion engine or be powered by fossil fuels.
In the movie, three men agreed on a bet to make it around the world in 80 days using various means of transportations like boat, train and elephants.
The 80-day race, a sustainable global competition, is set to start in Paris and will head east to China. The teams will cross the Pacific into North America and make their way south.
The host cities will prepare educational programs that focus on inspiring young engineers.
The event has joined forces with Greenpower Education Trust, which provides programs for students in the U.K. about designing and building electric race cars.
"I am very proud to host 80 Day Race in Paris. This race around the world in sustainable vehicles fully corresponds with the values we pursue," said Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo in a public statement in the City Hall of Paris.
"The development of e-mobility is one of the major challenges of our century and I'm sure 80 Day Race will accelerate the development of new means of transport. Because, beyond the incredible human adventure that represents this event, it is a real technological challenge that is offered to the teams. And, I admit, I can not wait to see the result!" added Hidalgo.
The organizers are currently doing plans, but it's given that the race will be separated into eight legs each and will stop at major cities around the world.
Several ambassadors already expressed their interest to participate. British actor and writer Robert Llewellyn recently joined the group. The actor said that one of the biggest obstacles people who have never driven them assume electric cars have is "range."
“When people hear that a group of people have driven around the world in 80 days, I firmly believe they will re-consider a lot more. 80 Day Race is a wonderful way of communicating to the world that electric cars are here, they are not a fad and they are at present the most rapidly developing sector in the car industry,” added Llewelyn.
As what Verne wrote, "anything one man can imagine, other men can make real."
