Last week, PRW reported that the UIM E1 World Electric Powerboat Series has moved one step closer to racing after announcing that the development and manufacture of its electric RaceBird has been given the green light.

When up and running, the series will be the UIM’s flagship environmentally friendly racing class, and as its president Raffaele Chiulli said:

Together with E1, we’re co-developing a new championship that will set a whole new standard for our sport.

There are other projects under development at the moment and some such as the China Bund EIPS (above) that haven’t progressed.

Back in 2018, Peter Dredge (above) took the UIM ‘Circuit Outright Electric’ record at a speed of 142.60 KPH on Coniston Water.

He was driving a DAC and the power unit was supplied by Williams Advanced Engineering, the technology arm of the Williams (F1) Group.

Italian company, DeepSpeed, are developing an electric hydrojet motor (above video).

The project has been put together by entrepreneur William Gobbo with a team headed-up by fluid dynamics expert Professor Ernesto Benini of the University of Padua and veteran F1H20 racer, Francesco Cantando is their test pilot.

It’s clear that the electric powered revolution is coming, and if its green credentials help powerboat racing to attract much needed brands, sponsors and partners, that can only be a good thing.