Team HRC will enter the CR ELECTRIC PROTO electric motocrosser in the FIM E-Xplorer World Cup.
Team HRC will be represented by 2024 Dakar Rally rider Tosha Schareina and Italian WMX champion Francesca Nocera.
The FIM E-Xplorer World Cup is an endurocross discipline featuring exclusively electric motocross bikes. The series therefore becomes the battleground for Honda’s CR ELECTRIC PROTO, which made an impressive competitive debut at Round 8 of the All Japan Motocross Championship at the end of last year against its established 450cc internal combustion counterparts.
Australia are represented by four riders Jack Field and Rhianna Buchanan who both represent the Flair Team riding the EMX Powertrain as well as Sandra Keller and Robbie Maddison in the Australian SUR RON by EBMX Team.
Koji Watanabe, President of Honda Racing Corporation, added: “As Honda’s commitment to carbon neutrality grows in importance, HRC has decided to enter the FIM E-Xplorer World Cup, a new category of electric off-road motorcycle racing in motorcycle motorsports. By taking on the challenge of a new electric motorcycle racing series, HRC will hone its technology in a real-world setting, accumulate know-how and knowledge, and further accelerate the development of human resources. We hope you will look forward to Honda’s efforts.”
Valentin Guyonnet, FIM E-Xplorer World Cup Co-Founder, said: “The announcement of Team HRC entering our championship is a significant milestone. Honda’s commitment to a sustainable future through gripping yet eco-friendly motorsport aligns perfectly with the message we aim to convey. With their expertise, we can anticipate a high level of competition in E-Xplorer for the foreseeable future.”
“It’s incredible really from the Sonora Rally last year where I got my first works Honda bike, the CRF450 Rally, then to have become a works rider for the Dakar, and now to be a works rider on the CR ELECTRIC PROTO!” rider Tosha Schareina said, “I know the team well and feel very comfortable with them, and we work very well together. The challenges of E-Xplorer are of course very different, but I am looking forward to adapting and to getting on the electric machine alongside Francesca. The series is new but already the CR ELECTRIC PROTO showed it was capable of matching the performance of the petrol bikes so I think it’s an exciting time to be working with HRC on developing such a capable electric machine.”
The announcement comes ahead of the first race in Season 2, when E-Xplorer heads to Osaka, Japan, on February 16-17. Hoping for a standout home performance, HRC are looking to stamp their authority as a competitive outfit in the series.
HRC’s commitment to E-Xplorer validates the electric motorcycle industry’s drive for ground-breaking technology and innovations, paving the way for a sustainable future in motorsport.
The 2024 E-Xplorer calendar will visit five countries across a landmark season with two brand-new locations. The action begins in Osaka, and then E-Xplorer heads to Europe for rounds in Norway, France and Switzerland. This year’s finale is set to take place in the second new location, India, marking a historic season.
The FIM E-Xplorer World Cup and HRC are gearing up for an electrifying journey, symbolising a new era for electric motorcycle racing worldwide.
