Electric scooter racing is coming
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Image courtesy of the eSkootr Championship series
There's a new sports league with an EV twist: Tuesday brought rollout of the "eSkootr Championship," which aims to start holding high-speed electric scooter races in major cities starting in 2021.
Why it matters: Organizers say there's a serious message behind the new sport as they promote electric scooters and other emerging mobility services.
- "In a post-COVID urban landscape, micromobility offers an escape from congestion, an escape from pollution, and an escape from car dependency," the announcement states.
- "Conceived as an all-new electric sporting category, the series will ... promote the cost, convenience and sustainability benefits of micromobility within the rapidly changing electric mobility landscape."
The state of play: The people launching the series are motorsports entrepreneur Hrag Sarkissian and Khalil Beschir, a Formula One broadcaster and former driver.
- They're working with Lucas di Grassi, an environmentalist and driver in the Formula E electric race car series who will be the new venture's "sustainability ambassador," and former F1 driver Alex Wurz, who is the "safety ambassador."
How it works: The announcement says professional riders will use "high-speed, purpose-built race scooters" that can reach 60 miles-per-hour.
- They hope to recruit competitors from the ranks of race car drivers, cyclists, skaters, snowboarders, motorcyclists and more, they said.
What we don't know: A lot, as The Verge reports, noting absence of information about funding and specific competitors.
Go deeper: The intensifying battle between cities and electric scooters
