June Launch for New Formula 60 Electric Speedboat Championship
By Jeff Butler
An electric boat speed record set last September has now set the stage for a whole new speedboat racing series, the Formula 60 Electric Speedboat Championship. Together with the global E1 Championships launched in 2024, these competitions demonstrate the ever-rising interest in electric boat propulsion.
Last year German electric boat motor manufacturer Molabo began working with three partners – boatbuilder Kaiser Bootsmanufaktur, Team Tech-ouT E-Racing and green mobility expert Protenergies, to retrofit Molabo’s 50 kW ARIES 48 V drive system into a combustion-powered Formula-4 (F4) boat.
The F4 boats are 3.9 m (≈ 13 ft) ‘tunnel catamarans’ with a wing or aerofoil built-in to their design. The class is very popular across Western Europe, the U.K, and Middle East. In the internal combustion version, they can be powered by the four-stroke 60 EFI Racing or 60 APX, both 60 horsepower outboards and both from Mercury Racing.
The Molabo ARIES is rated at approximately 80 hp and the boat established an electric F4 world speed record of 91.5 kph (55 mph) on a one kilometer course. The speeds were clocked and verified by the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), the global governing body of powerboat racing.
Speedboats use Molabo 48V safe-to-touch technology
“The acceleration is noticeably stronger than combustion engines” said Mael Touchet, who piloted the boat for Team Tech-ouT E-Racing, “and from the cockpit, you feel other big differences: it’s much quieter, and vibrations are greatly reduced,”
The remarkable thing about the motor is not the torque and smooth operation – which all electric motors deliver – but that this kind of power is achieved using only 48 Volts. It is Molabo’s ISCAD patented technology motor that makes it possible and makes it the only electric outboard able to produce 50kW of power at safe-to-touch voltage.
For recreational and commercial boat owners, that safe-to-touch 48 volts means that installation and maintenance of Molabo drives – outboard, inboard or hybrid – does not require specially trained or certified technicians. That in turn reduces installation and other costs.
“Low-voltage systems are especially important in racing” says Philippe Touchet of Team Tech-ouT E-Racing. “Non-certified users can work on the boat and for UIM safety requirements, if a boat flips and the cockpit floods, both driver and rescue divers remain safe from high-voltage risks. That’s an important factor in making electric racing safer and more accessible for more teams.”
The record-setting run was a decisive proof of concept. Jean-Jacques Bucher, President of the Yacht Moteur Club de France, said at the time “This isn’t just about today’s run, it’s also about making an important step toward electrifying the speedboat racing world”.
Formula 60 Electric Speedboat Championships inviting teams
Now the mission is becoming a reality. The Formula 60 Electric Speedboat Championship will debut under the auspices of the French Powerboat Federation (FFM) with four confirmed race weekends scheduled in France this summer:
- June 7/8: Albi
- June 27/28: Mâcon
- August 29/30: Chalon-sur-Saône
- September 5/6: Caen.
The initiative has been developed in alignment with key industry stakeholders, including the UIM and Mercury Racing, both of whom also partner with the E1 Series. International expansion of Formula 60 under the UIM framework is planned for the 2027 race season.
Molabo and Protenergies are ready to provide Molabo’s ARIES system – including a new lightweight, swappable battery pack – to any F4 team looking to convert their motors to electric. The companies are also inviting others to join the F-60 Championships as Founding Teams who will participate in developing competitive and technical parameters for the new class.
“The transition to electric is technically straightforward,” said Adrian Patzak, CCO, Molabo. “With the championship launch confirmed, the inaugural Formula 60 Electric grid is now being finalized, with a limited number of team spots still available.” He adds that technical briefings and integration planning sessions will be scheduled in the coming weeks.
Teams interested in learning more should contact [email protected] before March 29, 2026.