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Video: Watch a Formula E car take on a cheetah

One of the stranger drag races you'll see


Formula E has lined John-Eric Vergne up alongside a cheetah, as part of a unique promotional stunt.

Designed to highlight the burgeoning race series' eco-credentials, the video draws attention to the fact cheetahs are at threat of extinction. According to National Geographic, the already-low population is at risk of declining by a further 53 per cent over the next 14 years.

As the fastest land-mammal in the world, the cheetah will hit 113km/h running flat out. What's more, it hits 100km/h in around 3.0 seconds – and instead of relying on pesky electricity, or dirty fossil-fuels for that matter, they're powered by wildebeest and gazelles.

With around 200kW of power from its electric motors, the Formula E car has a handy top speed advantage: it hits 100km/h in the same 3.0 seconds as the cheetah, but keeps pulling to 240km/h. Turns out four wheels are faster than four legs after all.

You can probably guess the outcome of the race – spoiler alert, the purpose-built racer was faster than the four-legged creature – but it's close for part of the race.

Check it out at the top of the story.

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