It looks like the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) is preparing for an electric motorcycling future with officials looking for expressions of interest for a new racing series, the E-Xplorer World Cup.
If the series becomes a reality, it would start in September 2022 and feature three races in its inaugural season. The series would pit “up to 12 mixed teams to compete in head-to-head relay races on two-wheel all-terrain motorcycles propelled 100% by electric motors.
It appears the FIM is serious about the series, having already prepared a 49-page rule book jammed with regulations. The rulebook states that the proposed racing series “…consists of a series of sprint relay races (heats) for electric all-terrain motorcycles on short technical tracks.”
Inside the rulebook, you can find a brief description of the E-Xplorer series:
“The actual racing consists of a series of sprint relay races (heats) for electric all-terrain motorcycles in short technical tracks. Up to 12 teams consisting of one male and one female rider will race each other head-to-head in a best two out of three race knockout tournament format. Two teams will face each other racing in parallel through individual lanes and will have to go through natural and/or artificial obstacles such as jumps, whoops, pits, FIM E-XPLORER World Cup 8 drops, ramps, stones, tree trunks, or passages of water. Halfway through each race, teams will have to switch riders in a relay. The best out of three races wins the heat and will move to the following round until the final round, whose winner becomes the event champion.”
The series will utilize a knockout format where the loser of each round is eliminated. The winner will move to the next round until the final round is reached and the champion determined.
motorcycles
The series will be open to Electric Polyvalent All-Terrain Motorcycles. As stated in the regulations, to be eligible to compete in the E-Xplorer series, the motorcycle must meet the following criteria:
“For the FIM E-XPLORER WORLD CUP an electric polyvalent all-terrain motorcycle is a lightweight motorcycle (< 75kg/165 Lbs or < 130Kg/286 Lbs) that is propelled by an electric motor without pedal assistance and that is designed to ride in different surfaces and through different obstacles like jumps, whoops, pits, drops, stones, tree trunks, or passages of water.”
Racing circuits
According to the series’ regulations, the race tracks used in the E-Xplorer World Cup Series will “… test the reliability of the electric polyvalent off-road motorcycles and the rider’s technical skills and physical fitness on short, technical tracks.”
Further, the regulations state that the tracks…
“…must be composed of natural off-road or urban terrains. It may comprise varied terrain sections such as jumps, stairs, rocks, sand, forest or river-beds. The riders may have at times to push their motorcycles.”
Race length and duration
Races will last two laps of a circuit up to a kilometer long. To complete the race, both the male and female competitor must complete their laps. The race is complete when the first team rider completes their lap, switches to the second rider in a switch zone, and the second rider completes their lap by going through the finish line area.
The FIM anticipates that a race will take approximately three minutes, including the team’s completed relay in the switch zone.
Interested?
If you would like to participate in the series, you have until 5 PM CET on Friday, 22 April 2022. Your expression of interest must have:
(1) A cover letter introducing the candidacy;
(2) The candidate’s full contact details;
(3) The candidate entity’s certificate of incorporation, details of its administrative headquarters, the date of founding/registration, its company number, a copy of its statutes/memorandum and articles of association or equivalent as well as details regarding its management generally;
(4) The identity of all shareholders and the ultimate beneficial owner of all shares;
(5) A curriculum vitae for each director and officer of the company;
(6) Information on the candidate’s global reach/operations, including offices, partners, digital and social media followings and existing partners/sponsors;
(7) Information on the candidate’s relevant racing experience and capabilities, including racing history and performance, facilities, equipment, riders and substitutes (if applicable), mechanical and engineering resources;
(8) A confirmation whether the candidate is willing partner/joint venture with another candidate in order to form a Racing Team to compete in the FIM E-Xplorer World Cup.
The FIM did not elaborate on how it will choose its first competitors. But they did say that the “… applicable selection criteria, deadlines, legal requirements, template application documents, and other conditions, will be communicated to candidates…” who meet the deadline for their notifications of interest.
It will be interesting to see whether the FIM can pull off this new electric motorcycle series. While the laps are short, they could be highly technical and strenuous.
What do you think of this potential series? Would you watch or compete in it? Let us know in the comments below.
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