Engineers have begun water testing of the RaceBird which is an all-electric, single-pilot foiling boat that will soon be racing in the E1World Electric Powerboat Series. The RaceBird has been in development for the past couple of years as the official racing vessel for E1.
The E1 World Electric Powerboat Series is a championship racing series that was specifically for electric boats, dreamt up by Alejandro Agag, the founder of Formula E and Extreme E championship series, and Rodi Basso, a former Director of Motorsport at McLaren with a background in Formula 1.
The co-founders launched the league in 2020 to bring a new and exciting racing platform to the water while simultaneously developing and promoting more sustainable marine technologies. E1 announced its partnership with SeaBird Technologies and Victory Marine to develop, manufacture, and assemble the RaceBird.
E1 Series has now taken the RaceBird out on the water and it is all set to test it.
Race simulations and tests are focused on performance analysis and data collection. Alejandro Agag, Co-Founder & Chairman of E1, shared his thoughts:
“Putting the RaceBird on the water for the first time is a pivotal moment for the E1 world championship. We’re now one step closer to making electric racing on the water a reality. I remember very well the same scenarios we encountered during the early stages at both Formula E and Extreme E, and just like on those occasions this is a breakthrough in E1’s journey. Seeing the RaceBird fly proves to me that we can use this exciting, new sporting platform to drive technological innovation in the marine industry and create something spectacular for fans in the cities we visit.”
The E1 team used water testing as a chance to gauge different elements of its future electric boat racing format.
The debut season of the E1 series is scheduled to begin in Spring 2023, but the team says that the public will be able to see the RaceBird on display in the water soon.
