It has long been known that motor sport helps to drive innovation in transportation technologies. However, the unfortunate reality is that while technological improvements have been made, they haven’t been in the area that really matters: sustainability.

A medley of motor sporting bosses have decided to buck the trend with new events for low carbon vehicles. The most recent announcement was from an unexpected corner: The Isle of Man TT races. Starting this year, a new category is available for electric and fuel cell powered motor bikes.

Electric motorbikes are already available on the market, so what’s the big deal about them being allowed in the TT races? Well the average speed around the TT course is hovering around the 120mph mark, and the electric bikes currently on the market would just about manage half that speed.

It’s the unique challenges posed by motor sport which will help to close this gap. Every aspect of the motorbike’s control and power electronics will be scrutinised. More sophisticated power management systems will be developed. Demand will rise for high performance battery packs and motors, the likes of which could soon find their way into our own vehicles. And of course, the engineers involved will aim to make the bikes are efficient as possible.

Detractors will point to the lack of noise from these new bikes, and their inferior performance. But this exercise is about just that: sacrificing predictable outcomes, and pushing forward into fresh territory. You never know, something incredible might come out of it.

Official Site
Currently available electric motorbike