Formula E may be unique for its use of electric race cars but it’s also one of the few sports series in the world whose objective goes beyond what happens on a race track. Ever since its inception in 2014, Formula E has championed the use of electric cars to fight global warming. Now, ahead of the start of its third season, CEO Alejandro Agag and four-time race winner Lucas Di Grassi, took the cause to a new level by literally going to the Arctic Circle to drive his zero-emissions race car.

The video has the look of a promotional ad for Formula E, but if you peel through the layers and see it for what it’s worth. It's really is a call to action for everybody in this planet. As the ad says, 2016 is on pace to be the hottest year on record and a big consequence of that has been the unprecedented melting of the polar ice caps.

It’s become such a serious problem that organizations from all over the world, Formule E included, have put in the time and the work to not only raise awareness of the problem, but to also encourage everyone to do their part in fighting global warming. The event itself was supported by the government of Greenland, which goes to show the severity of the problem at hand.

And as Di Grassi points out, being in the Arctic circle and seeing the effects of global warming first-hand provides a clearer picture of what Formula E is trying to accomplish.

So the next time you catch a Formula E race and wonder why those race cars are eerily silent compared to their Formula One counterparts, remember that the series isn’t just about racing as competition; it’s also about racing to raise awareness in the fight against global warming.

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