The world’s first electric foil racing boat has completed its first-ever test run in northern Italy.
The Racebird, which is the brainchild of Norwegian designer Sophi Horne, is a 150 kW electric foil boat that has been developed for the upcoming E1 World Championship.
Taking to the Po River in San Nazzaro, northern Italy, a prototype version of the Racebird underwent a series of technical tests and systems checks with former world powerboat champion Luca Ferrari at the wheel. 
Racebird engineers were also able to assess and analyze the overall performance of the electric boat, and learn more about its reliability on the water.
Racebird’s trial program will continue for several weeks, with the new vessel taking part in straight line trials, qualification trials and race simulations.
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Engineers will focus testing on setup and performance analysis and collecting data on foiling and handling characteristics under different race conditions.
Powered by a 150kW battery and a Mercury racing outboard motor, the boat climbs quickly on its foils thanks to its instantaneous torque and acceleration.
The 800kg Racebird single-pilot will make its full debut at the inaugural E1 World Championship, the world’s premier electric racing boat series.
The E1 racing series, which was co-founded by Extreme E creator Alejandro Agag, will see up to 12 teams and 24 drivers compete on the water in spectacular global racing locations.
“Putting the Racebird on the water for the first time is a pivotal moment for the E1 World Championship,” said E1 Chairman Agag.
“Seeing him fly proves to me that we can use this exciting new sporting platform to drive technological innovation in the maritime industry and create something spectacular for fans in the cities we visit.”
The first season of the E1 World Championship is expected to start in the spring of next year.
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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-04-18 23:01:00
