E-Xplorer has been officially launched and holded its first official test close to the French town of Vollore-Montagne from September 8th to 10th 2022.
Eight teams from five different countries participated, each bringing one female and one male rider and all of them rode electric all-terrain motorcycles supplied by 4 different manufacturers.
The event gathered several major motorcycle industry heavyweights, such as the World record holder Robbie Maddison, MIE Racing founder Midori Moriwaki, Seven team manager Roger Larsen and ISDE vice-champion Marine Lemoine, all of whom have committed to join the new discipline, born to re-energize the motorcycle racing industry and which will officially kick off in 2023.
The race format was tested and validated and all participants were excited to experience motorbike racing for a new generation while challenging each other and the elements.
In fact the E-Xplorer Championship is the new international all-electric, all-terrain motorcycle series, that fuses fiercely competitive racing and technical innovation with sustainability, progress and exploration, has held its first test days in Vollore-Montagne (France) with overwhelming success.
From September 8 to September 10, all the competitors – 8 female and 8 male riders – were thrilled to experience this first taste of the new racing discipline, as well as the 4 manufacturers’ electric motorcycle technology and overall performance on a spectacular track.
This test served as a glimpse of the growing appetite for electrified motorsport while acting as a test bed for trailblazing technology that appeals to the next generation of riders, as outlined by Valentin Guyonnet, E-Xplorer Founder & CEO:
E-Xplorer will re-energise motorcycle racing. Our Series aims to inspire the next generation of athletes to freeride the World, a championship where women and men race together for the same World title.
Aligned with the sustainable philosophy of the Championship, the entire event, including the paddock, was powered through zero-emission Hydrogen energy generators provided by GCK Energy. E-Xplorer is focused on bringing in a new era of motorsports energy management across the board, without fossil fuel consumption and with silent technology that makes the great outdoors even more enjoyable, whether on a motorcycle or at an FIM E-Xplorer World Cup event.
During the three days, the E-Xplorer team took the opportunity to also present and organize the Technical Committee chaired by Midori Moriwaki, who has shared her passion for the project stating:
By gathering different manufacturers competing against each other, we’re bringing different approaches, solutions and points of view. We’re creating a path for innovation and improvement, drawing the future of alternative energies for motorcycles.
The riders’ adventure through the track
The E-Xplorer test gathered together 8 of the 10 teams already confirmed to participate in Season 1: PCR E-Performance, Seven, Electric Motion, Flair, Ride The World, BHR, MaddWill and Volt Fast, leaving only two spots to fill before the beginning of the first season. Teams rode on motorcycles supplied by 4 different manufacturers: Sur-Ron, EMX Powertrain, Electric Motion and BHR.
All team managers and riders welcomed the sporting format and used the three day test event to plan and develop a strategic approach to the competition. Top athletes such as Julien Dupont, Fred Crosset, and, of course, the globally renowned Robbie Maddison spread their “electric” wings for the first time to start preparing for the beginning of the Championship.
The first official test days were an incredible time, definitely the most fun I’ve ever had making the least amount of noise.
2023 FIM E-Xplorer World Cup
Vollore-Montagne Test Days – Official Entry list
The test track served as a template for the final Championship track layouts and included a variety of obstacles, natural and artificial such as jumps, pits, drops, ramps, boulders, stones and tree logs, in two parallel tracks, providing abundant opportunities for exciting racing and challenges for the riders.
The format of the racing was also tested and confirmed; teams will race head-to-head, in parallel lanes in a relay format, with the male and female rider contributing equally to the team’s fortunes; seedings and lane choices will be determined by a timed qualifying session and teams will compete in knockout head-to-head races: in order to advance a team will have to win two head-to-head races in each heat, building up to a final race, which will crown the winner of the electric battle.
FIM E-Xplorer World Cup: 2023… ready, steady, go!
We’re just charging our batteries with this test: the thrilling calendar for the Championship will be announced in the Q4 of this year and will take us to extraordinary places from city centers to epic natural landscapes to enjoy the first ever mixed-gender and fully-electric motorcycle Championship. Just like the FIM President, Jorge Viegas states:
The FIM is proud to partner with E-Xplorer and invites all motorcycle manufacturers to join us in this new journey. These test days demonstrate a great future for our sport. FIM will provide all necessary support to ensure its success during its inaugural season and into the future.
A one in a kind championship for those who chase innovation and adventure.
At following you can watch the Pre-Season Testing Race Highlights video
Source: E-Xplorer
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