Skeptics argued that electric vehicles will never be able to perform as well as their petrol counterparts. But today many new projects prove otherwise. It may not be ready to break the world’s fastest boat records yet, but the E1 RaceBird literally flies through the water at impressive speeds. The world’s first all-electric flying racing boat glides on two hydrofoils at speeds up to 58 miles per hour.

Resembling a giant bird with its pointed beak-like front and green “wings”, RaceBird first took conceptual form when E1 co-founder and CEO Rodi Basso visited his summer home in Sweden. He saw birds soaring on the water surface and imagined how this shape could be transformed into a futuristic, eco-friendly boat with competitive capabilities.

A Formula 1 engineer who previously worked with McLaren, Ferrari and NASA, Basso co-founded the E1 Series all-electric racing boat championship with entrepreneur Alejandro Agag to bring electric sports to the rivers and oceans of the world.

The duo collaborated with Norwegian designer Sophie Horn, naval architect and marine engineer Brunello Acompara, SeaBird Technologies and Victory Marine to design, manufacture and build RaceBird as the official raceship for the E1 Championship.

RaceBird features an all-electric outboard made by the marine engine experts at Mercury Racing, and a cockpit reminiscent of a single-seat race car with steering wheel and pedals.

Designed for just one pilot, the RaceBird is powered by a Kreisel Electric battery and uses immersion cooling technology to maintain maximum performance on the go. Hydrofoils keep the RaceBird hull above water, reducing drag and increasing energy efficiency.

Engineers have successfully tested RaceBird in northern Italy and the ship is now on track to compete in the E1 World Championship in spring 2023.

“We are now one step closer to making water racing on electric boats a reality”– says Agag, – I remember very well the same scenarios we faced in the early stages of Formula E and Extreme E, and as then, this is a major breakthrough in E1. Having RaceBird fly proves to me that we can use this exciting new sports platform to bring technological innovation to the maritime industry and create something amazing for fans.“.