The EV Cup, the world’s first circuit race series exclusively featuring zero-emission electric vehicles, unveiled plans yesterday for the launch of its inaugural 2011 season.

The seven-race series has two main classes of vehicle—one of which will put drivers behind the wheel of Think City electric cars, souped-up for racing. The standard Think two-seater EV has a top speed of 70 miles per hour, and a range of 100 miles per full charge. I suppose we’ll find out very soon how far the Think City can be pushed, and the effects of maximum speed on driving range. (Not a good idea for daily driving.)

The racing version of the Think City runs a course at demonstration event for the EV Cup.

Think rolled out its first U.S. cars to fleets last month, and continues to add fleet customers—mostly in Indiana, where the company has its American headquarters. Michael Locke, Think’s marketing chief, told us in November that the car—targeted to urban dwellers wanting ease of maneuverability and parking—will go to a few select retail customers in the middle of 2011.

Raising Awareness

“The advantages of electric vehicles in urban environments are too many to miss,” said Former Formula One British champion Damon Hill, who supports the EV Cup. “Less noise and less direct pollution are just two. The race is to save the planet from us. Racing electric vehicles should convince the wider public of their potential.”

There’s also a Sports EV class, which will have teams racing a 115-mile-per-hour Westfield iRacers. A third category will stack prototype EVs for fastest time on street and racecourses.

Westfield iRacer

Tracks and dates are confirmed in the UK for August through September of this year—but there are no details yet about U.S. locations or dates.

The series could play a key role of raising awareness about the appeal of electric cars—considering that CAA Sports, a division of Creative Artists Agency, is a partner. CAA Sports is a heavy-hitter when it comes to representing sports stars and events. The agency’s A-list includes LeBron James, Derek Jeter, Peyton Manning and 5-time reigning NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson, among many others. “We look forward to utilizing our resources across the globe in sports and entertainment to help build the EV Cup into a premier racing series and valuable advertising platform, ” said Peter Kenyon of CAA Sports.