Paris, France(CNN) Paris has plenty of world-famous landmarks but it can now add a Formula E race to its list of attractions.
The first Paris ePrix electrified the chic surrounds of the seventh arrondissement, home to the Eiffel Tower and Hotel de Invalides, Saturday.
A sell-out crowd of 20,000 came to watch the newest addition to the global championship for electric cars -- the series organizers said they could easily have sold more tickets.
In front of the packed grandstands, Lucas di Grassi made a quick getaway to win the Paris street race and extend his championship lead to 11 points.
"The atmosphere here in Paris is amazing," said the Brazilian, who drives for the German Abt Schaeffler team. "Even people in houses were opening their windows to cheer me!
"It's so special to win the race here. We are all sharing a moment in motorsport history."
The enthusiastic crowd unfurled a scattering of tricolor to celebrate a runners-up spot for Jean-Eric Vergne, who was born in the Parisian suburb of Pontoise.
"It's an amazing podium and something really special for me," said Vergne, who gained ground on his DS Virgin Racing teammate Sam Bird at the start.
Sebastien Buemi, driving for French car giant Renault, muscled his way through the pack to finish third after starting the race in eighth.
It was a race of recovery for the Swiss driver, who said he had struggled to warm up the Renault car in qualifying because of the cool track conditions.
His Renault teammate Nicolas Prost collected fourth place ahead of French compatriot Stefan Sarrazin. The fourth Frenchman in the field, Loic Duval, unfortunately saw his Dragon Racing car grind to a halt early on.
Fans react to historic Formula E race in French capital
A estimated 20,000 fans turned out to watch the inaugural Paris ePrix. Here's what a few of them thought of the historic race.
Based in Paris, she attended with her father Gerard -- who is from Marseille.
"I think Formula E is very interesting. It's the first time in Paris. I hope there will be other editions. It's very future orientated.
It's also very positive for Paris after the events of November (2015). It shows that Paris and France can gather people without any problems. Security and happiness everywhere. Image-speaking it's very important for France and for Paris."
We found brothers Romain (right) and Tibo enjoying the sights and sounds of the eVillage. They said the "ambiance" for the race was good and were hoping for a win on home soil for Renault e.Dams driver Nico Prost.
(Read race report)
The mother of DS Virgin Racing driver Sam Bird was in town to support her son, alongside his girlfriend Hollie (left).
"I think Formula E is brilliant. I love the social media interaction with fans. It's opened up the whole new word of electric cars to a whole new audience. It's the racing of the future -- it's so much more fan friendly, it's more interesting than other forms of racing," Diane says.
"What could be better than Paris and London? They are very special. Sam's loving it!"
This Formula One fan from Senegal traveled to Paris to experience the thrills of electric racing.
"It's the beginning of Formula E because now everyone is talking about electricity. I believe in the future and I think (Formula E CEO) Alejandro Agag is taking a big step."
"I like motorsport and I study engineering, so Formula E is very cool -- I like its efficiency. I expect the race to have excellent racing and be action-packed."
"I'm from Luxembourg, but I've lived in Paris for seven years. I came here to study now I work here for a sports event company," he says.
"I think Formula E is a really interesting concept. They've been developing it for more than a year now and I think they should really push it. It's a great idea. I think they are doing a really good job trying to get the crowds involved -- voting (for drivers) with
Fan Boost."
"We like Formula E because we want to discover more of the universe, the cars, driver technique, and we love Prost! It is a very good thing to do this race in the beautiful city of Paris because it is good to promote electric cars and sustainability."
"It's a fantastic opportunity to be here inside Paris," says Blanc, who works for car manufacturer Renault as an electrical engineer. "It's a very good thing for our brand, our cars, our technology. I think Fan Boost is a very good thing to involve fans ... the way a racer can win points is fun."
"I went to London last year for the final race of the season and I really enjoyed it," the Dubliner told CNN.
"I've never been to Paris so I thought I would come and see Formula E. I was originally an F1 fan and then heard about the new series and I fell in love with it. The action is very close compared to F1, where it's very spread out. Every since the first race in Beijing I've been getting up at ridiculous hours to watch Formula E. I was in London, Berlin last year, now Paris and I'll go to London again. I'm going to the PSG match as well and I'll do some sightseeing as well."
Father and son Richard (left) and Romain traveled up from the Ardeche region in southern France to watch the Paris ePrix. Romain is a fan of Renault e.Dams driver Nico Prost.
"We were drawn to Formula E by its name and reputation. We think we will see a good race. It is a good championship and although we like all motorsport, we especially like Formula E."
"I like F1 and that made me interested in Formula E. It is spectacular, and I can't wait to see the speed in person. I also want to see how the batteries work."
"We like the technique and the speed of Formula E. For the world it's very important for the future."
All in all it was a very good day for France, which is credited as the father of motorsport after staging the first motor race in the 1890s.
France is also on high alert after the Paris terror attacks last November and there was strict security at the temporary street circuit.
"I'm extremely proud to be a Parisian," added Vergne. "It's easy to forget the recent difficult times in France and Brussels. It's something incredible to show the strength of the city."
The Formula E community moves on to Berlin for the next race on 21 May but the love affair with Paris looks set to continue until next year.
MORE: Paris transformed for city street race