Don’t worry. He’s not driving! Leo DiCaprio is backing Venturi Automobiles, a pioneer in electric motoring, to enter a team in the new FIA Formula E Championship. The new series is on a roll these days, attracting more and more big names for its first-ever season.

Looks like this electric, and therefore zero-emission, kind of motorsport is the latest green trend. Hollywood elite love green trends. That’s why they jumped at the Toyota Prius, because it marked them aside as someone who cares about the environment. They are, after all, role models.

Leonardo DiCaprio, though, does not have a keen eye for these trends. He backed up the Fisker Karma project when it was first introduced and was one of the first celebs to buy one. But Fisker went bust. Leo should have supported Tesla. So don’t bet on the success of Formula E just yet!

The Formula E joint venture has been co-founded by DiCaprio and Gildo Pallanca Pastor, founder of Venturi Automobiles, together with Bert Hedaya and Francesco Costa. Venturi Grand Prix will now be put forward to the FIA for approval as the tenth and final team to enter the new zero emission series. Venturi will build its own Formula E cars. They certainly have enough experience with EVs.

Formula E cars are similar in character to Formula 1 cars, but they have a powerful electric motor and different aerodynamics. The series will compete in the heart of 10 of the world’s leading cities including Beijing, Los Angeles and London. To kick off in September 2014, the first season’s grid will host 10 teams and 20 cars.

“The future of our planet depends on our ability to embrace fuel-efficient, clean-energy vehicles,” DiCaprio said. “Venturi Grand Prix has shown tremendous foresight in their decision to create an environmentally friendly racing team, and I am happy to be a part of this effort.”