Electric Scooter Racing Looks Freakin’ Awesome!

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I am not that much of a racing fan. If it’s in the Olympics, that’s great, I’d love to watch it once every 4 years. (Actually, I don’t remember the last time I watched Olympic racing even — it was a long time ago.)

However, some things are just too cool. Kyle Field recently ran across and shared news of an electric scooter championship that I actually am excited to see. The “eSkootr Championship” may not beat The Last Dance, but it looks exciting and worth getting a bowl of popcorn to watch.

It’s here! The world’s first global electric scooter championship and the countdown to our first race in 2021 has begun… Join the micromobility revolution.

Find out more 👉 https://t.co/58PjLJw6J8#TimetoeSCape pic.twitter.com/Vucef9RBbh

— eSkootr Championship ⚡🛴 (@eSC_LIVE) July 7, 2020

Thing is, we have to wait until 2021 for the first races. Until then, definitely watch the short video above.

There appear to be three core aims with the new championship — “to make international motorsport more accessible, affordable and sustainable than ever before.” Sustainability is emphasized repeatedly on the website. The lower cost base vehicle is an interesting spin on the industry. Though, the scooters used for the racing will be modified/custom electric scooters made for racing, rather than the common consumer variety.

Like Formula E, the racing series will go through the hearts of major cities. Though, no cities are named at the moment and it’s not clear how big the first-year schedule is intended to be. Clearly, though, it is modeled a bit after Formula E and has links to Formula E. “The business is further supported through its collaboration with Formula E racer and UN Ambassador Lucas di Grassi, and former F1 driver Alex Wurz.”

Needless to say, the creators of this new racing championship are big scooter fans.

“At the heart of the eSC is the central belief that micromobility is perfectly suited to our times.

“For young people and those on a budget, it provides an affordable transportation solution with zero emissions. In a post COVID urban landscape, micromobility offers an escape from congestion, an escape from pollution, and an escape from car dependency.”

The championship will actively lobby for micromobility solutions in cities, and will also work to raise awareness about micromobility options for normal commuting.

“The eSC will champion safer, smarter and more sustainable micromobility choices.

“At each venue city, the series will bring together representatives from government, industry and civil society to help define policies and practices to build a more sustainable and deliverable vision of future urban transportation.

“It will show how densely populated areas can efficiently build protected, sustainable city networks where escooters, ebikes and bicycles all share space together.

“And it will introduce a fresh mobility landscape to city commuters who have spent decades travelling clogged and congested routes by motor car.”

If you’ve made it this far and haven’t watched the video in that tweet above, shame on you. Watch it now:

It’s here! The world’s first global electric scooter championship and the countdown to our first race in 2021 has begun… Join the micromobility revolution.

Find out more 👉 https://t.co/58PjLJw6J8#TimetoeSCape pic.twitter.com/Vucef9RBbh

— eSkootr Championship ⚡🛴 (@eSC_LIVE) July 7, 2020

“As we’ve already seen with Formula E, there is considerable scope for disruption within the electric mobility space – both on and off the track,” di Grassi notes.

“And, as the discussion around micromobility grows, the Electric Scooter Championship is perfectly placed to amplify the benefits of clean, sustainable transport solutions within our everyday lives.

“This is the start of real – and important – growth for micromobility within motorsport.”

Alex Wurz adds: “The world is changing, and everything in our society reflects that dynamic change – whether it is anticipated or unexpected. Of course, motorsport is not removed from that conversation, and we’ve already seen ways in which the sport has started to develop in order to better serve both its competitors and its audience.

“With eSC, we’ve taken that scalability to an extreme, creating a series that can operate from a tiny footprint yet still work as an accelerant for meaningful change within the world’s leading cities.

“As a racer, I want to create a series that has all the thrill and intensity of the motorsport series we all grew up with, but with the costs and responsibility that make it accessible and appealing to everyone. This is the next step we need to take, and it’s the start of a really exciting journey.”

The championship has been several years in the making, according to Khalil Beschir, eSkootr Championship COO and co-founder. The coronavirus brings more impetus to a shift toward micromobility, but it became a part of the narrative at the end of the planning process. Beschir and Hrag Sarkissian, eSkootr Championship CEO and co-founder, were setting the foundation for the racing series long before COVID-19 hit.

As we await this fun new racing series, check out some of the electric scooter stories published on CleanTechnica this year:

• Interviewing Etergo’s CEO: What The Ola Electric Acquisition Means For Etergo, Consumers, & Investors
• E-Bikes & E-Scooters Now Legal In New York
• Electric Deliveries Are Spreading Across Africa, Botswana Startup MyFoodness Adopts Electric Scooters On Its Routes