FIM to back new e-road-race title

The Federation Internationale de Motorcyclisme (FIM) has signed an agreement with TTXGP to promote a new road-race series for electric motorcycles, the move paving the way for future growth for the category and raising the profile of the sport.

The FIM has said the series will initially be run as a World Cup and will serve as a support class for other FIM championship events. “For the inaugural season in 2013, it will consist of four events in both Europe and the USA, and a final in Asia,” states an FIM press release. “And for 2014, it will revert to a championship calendar with a minimum of six events over three continents,” the release continues.

The new FIM championship is slated to become a headline event in its own right in 2015, with a global calendar of fixtures.

The creation of the new titles should further accelerate development of the e-bike class. The range and power of these bikes has increased significantly since the first TTXGP race held in 2009. It’s hoped the new series will effectively showcase electric motorcycles as a viable clean-energy alternative to traditional road and race bikes.

FIM President Vito Ippolito said he was thrilled to be supporting the category’s growth. “Through this agreement we are taking another important step towards the growth and promotion of clean electric road racing,” he said. “The FIM is committed to furthering sports events for electric motorcycles, which will certainly be a major component of the motorsport of the future,” he added.

TTXGP’s founder, Azhar Hussain, said he was thrilled to see the FIM throwing its support behind the venture. “This partnership with the FIM clears the way for a single destination for all the world’s innovators to drive the next generation of technologies for competitive motorsport beyond the grid,” he said. “We look forward to working with the FIM on this exciting project.”

The official name for the series and its calendar will be released shortly.