Helbiz Gears Up for the eSkootr Championship, Riders Will Race on 60 MPH E-Scooters

Conceived in 2020 by former Formula E champion Lucas di Grassi, Austrian former F1 driver Alexander Wurz, motorsport entrepreneur Khalil Beschir and Hrag Sarkissian, who is the CEO of eSC, the new racing series has the first competition set to take place in 2022.

The eSC will bring together a varied group of athletes from all over the world with the goal of encouraging the use of sustainable mobility in urban areas. British motor racing team Carlin Motorsport has already announced its participation in the eSkootr Championship back in January.

Now, bound by the shared vision of promoting the micro-mobility culture and technology, Helbiz also announced its participation in the 2022 eSC. The news comes hot on the heels of the company’s recent launch of Helbiz One, the prototype of its first e-scooter destined for sale.

However, on the circuits, Helbiz riders will not use the brand’s vehicles. Instead, they will race a specially designed eSkootr called S1-X that can go much faster. Developed by Ycom and Williams Advanced Engineering, the vehicle is powered by a pair of 6,000W motors and can reach speeds of 100 kph (62 mph) on specially designed inner-city circuits.

According to eSC, these circuits will be 400 meters to one kilometer long, with races lasting between 8 to 10 minutes per round. Six riders will compete for a spot in the final, which should include a total of ten riders battling for the win. Three riders from Helbiz will get a piece of the action on the new S1-X.

They will manage power delivery with a traditional thumb-operated throttle. A torque delivery system, on the other hand, balances power between the front and back wheels to improve high-speed stability and may be overridden by the rider via a boost button for a quick burst of acceleration during races.