E1 Series: World's First Electric Boat Racing Championship

After years of planning, the first electric boat racing championship was launched on the 2nd February 2024, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, transforming how spectators view electrification and the motorsport industry as a whole. 

The UIM E1 Series World Championship was founded by Alejandro Agag, Founder & CEO EXTREME E and Founder & Chairman FiA Formula E & E1 Series, and Rodi Basso the CEO of the E1 Series. The racing series will see the proprietary electric boat, the RaceBird, set off on a global journey to show off the capabilities of electrical boat technologies. 

The E1 Series showcases the technical prowess behind important developments in the marine industry, in addition to how boats can become more sustainable, by leveraging alternative power and unique architecture to minimise their impact in even the most challenging scenarios. 

Almost a year ago, Basso joined us at the first ever EV Magazine LIVE event where he introduced, in person, the E1 Series as one of its founders and biggest advocates. 

“What is the best possible opportunity, if not a sports platform, to try and drive change with the excuse of building an exciting sporting format, delivering an important message,” said Rodi Basso at the event. “It’s not only a communication effort. What we want to propose as E1, as the world electric powerboat championship, is an execution platform.”

Electric innovation at The UIM E1 Series World Championship 

The racing series follows on from two very successful electrified motorsports that showcase the capabilities of electric in the toughest environments and challenging racing scenarios. However, the industry is well-accustomed to innovation on land while very rarely do spectators witness live motorsport on the open water. 

With this, the RaceBird - the electric powerboat built specifically for the E1 Series - showcased the incredible power of electric propulsion at the launch event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, while allowing the pilots to glide on the water, which minimises disruption to the water beneath it. 

The hydrofoil technology used in the RaceBird is one already seen in the marine industry, and it can have a significant impact on vehicle efficiency. 

The E1 Series encourages marine sustainability 

The organising committee has witnessed a great reception of the new motorsport with input from various stakeholders, including famous individuals live DJ Steve Aoki, Tom Brady, Rafa Nadal, Sergio Perez, Didier Drogba, and entrepreneur Marcelo Claure.

The aim of the E1 Series is to get people engaged. While sustainability is paramount for the project, the team recognises the need to build an audience in order to spread the message. Working with well-known celebrities grabs the attention of spectators, but the real impact will lie among the cities in which the race series features. 

The E1 Series also grabbed the intention of a variety of partners that came together to make the launch happen, including the principal partner Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia, alongside championship partners Mercury Racing, SIMRAD, C-MAP, and its list of suppliers. 

The E1 Series follows in the footsteps of its sister motorsport events as it leaves behind a sustainable legacy in each host city. This will be carried out by the team and is backed by research from marine biologists led by Carlos Duarte. 

The racing championship will act as the campaign to raise awareness and fund the work that goes on behind the scenes to generate long-term impact across the globe. 

The UIM E1 Series race calendar:

12th May - Venice, Italy 

2nd June - Puerto Banús, Marbella, Spain 

30th June - Geneva, Switzerland

27th July - Monaco 

8th September - Rotterdam, Netherlands 

10th November - Hong Kong, China 

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