TT Zero

2013 Komatti-Mirai EV with Hatsune Miku livery
MotoCzysz E1pc, the winning bike of the first TT Zero race in 2010.

TT Zero was an electric motorsport event introduced for the 2010 Isle of Man TT races – replaced the similar TTXGP race as a 1-lap (37.733 miles) circuit of the Snaefell Mountain Course. The TT Zero event as an officially sanctioned Isle of Man TT race is for racing motorcycles where "The technical concept is for motorcycles (two wheeled) to be powered without the use of carbon based fuels and have zero toxic/noxious emissions."[1] The Isle of Man Government offered a prize of £10,000 for the first entrant to exceed the prestigious 100 mph (22 minutes and 38.388 seconds) average speed around the Mountain Course.

The inaugural 2010 TT Zero race was won by Mark Miller riding a MotoCzysz E1pc motor-cycle in 23 minutes and 22.89 seconds at an average race speed of 96.820 mph for 1 lap (37.733 miles) of the Mountain Course and the first United States winner since Dave Roper won the 1984 Historic TT riding a 500 cc Matchless G50. The TT Zero race replaced the 2009 TTXGP franchise, won by Rob Barber riding a Team AGNI motor-cycle in 25 minutes and 53.5 seconds at an average race speed of 87.434 mph for 1 lap (37.733 miles), with the simplification of the regulations and the emphasis on electric powered motor-cycles. The MotoCzysz E1pc was also the first American manufactured motor-cycle to win an Isle of Man TT Race since Oliver Godfrey won the 1911 Senior TT with an Indian V-Twin motor-cycle. The 2010 TT Zero race also produced the return of semi-dustbin fairing permissible under the TT Zero regulations and adopted by some entrants, but banned by the FIM since 1958 for racing motor-cycles.[2]

After taking their first victory in 2014 Team Mugen from Japan were the dominant force whilst the event lasted, winning it for 6 consecutive years from 2014 to 2019 and raising the average lap speed to 121.9 mph.

In 2019, a moratorium on further events in this class was announced, due to the slow take-up in electric motorcycles and few race participants. Speaking in late 2021 about the future of the event, Enterprise Minister Alex Allinson has ruled out further competition in this class until at least 2024.[3] To date there have been no further discussions or development in bringing back the event.

  1. ^ REGULATIONS TT ZERO – 2010 International Tourist Trophy – Isle of Man 29 May – 11 June p27 ACU Events Ltd (2010)
  2. ^ 50 Years of Moto Grand Prix page 47 editor Dennis Noyes Motorcourse (1999) Hazleton Publishing Ltd Presented by Dorna; Jarrod Book Printing ISBN 978-1-874557-83-8
  3. ^ No TT Zero races in 2022 or 23 IoM Today, 10 December 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2022