Photo: Sport-in-photo
The FIA is closer to introducing its own senior and junior electric karting classes after having technical and homologation regulations approved by the World Motor Sport Council last month.
There are already electric kart series in several countries, and the FIA’s technical regulations for electric karting at the mini level were published two years ago.
For the steps above it in the karting ladder, it has now produced the paperwork that determines what parameters drivetrain system providers should operate in, what voltage and weight limits will be set, and perhaps most importantly how much powertrain integration will be required in design so the new technology can go into old karts with adaptation.
There will be a 60V limit for the senior and junior classes, and batteries will need to be positioned centrally and below the steering column in future karts. This design choice is a key safety measure.
The electric drivetrains that will be homologated by the FIA within these regulations will have power-limited rechargeable energy storage systems. A drivetrain used in junior karting would be capped at 23kW, and it would be 28kW for the senior class.
The homologation regulations also mention “the use of high voltage (above 60 V DC or 30 V AC) under the approved equipment regime (to be distinguished from homologated equipment) remains possible, provided that it is strictly limited to ‘Arrive & Drive’ programmes, under the sole responsibility of the manufacturer or supplier of the system”.
Akbar Ebrahim, the FIA Karting Commission president, said electric karting “presents a significant opportunity to contribute to the continued growth of global karting and these regulations will unlock fresh possibilities for events and championships around the world” once they are introduced in 2026.