How Are Electric Karts Changing the Tracks?

Karting
Author: Lütfi Mete Odabaşı
Creation: 18 October 2026

Silent but ruthless: with 120 Nm of torque pulling away from a standstill, the electric kart tells everything in the corners while cutting energy costs to one-sixth of gasoline's.

Share This Page

Electric karts are transforming tracks from two ends: they have already become almost standard in the indoor and hobby side, while in the racing world they have begun to become institutionalized with the FIA's approval of e-karting categories. With their instant torque they come to the fore on twisty tracks at launch, but at top speed they still lag behind gasoline two-strokes. In other words, the transition is not happening overnight - but it is accelerating rapidly.

Highlights

In electric karts torque of up to 120 Nm comes instantly from zero; in a gasoline kart this value is around 36-40 Nm
Energy cost per session on the electric kart is $0.20-0.30, on the gasoline one $1.50-2.50
The FIA has approved technical regulations for the Junior and Senior e-karting categories
The first e-kart to receive CIK-FIA approval was the Rotax E20 has become
There is no dedicated electric karting championship in Türkiye yet; the tracks are active

Electric or gasoline? What do the numbers say?

To make the topic concrete, let's put two karts side by side. One is a modern electric racing kart, the other a classic 125 cc two-stroke shifter. The difference is more interesting than you might expect.

Feature	Electric racing kart	Two-stroke shifter kart
Power	40 kW	~45-50 hp
Torque	120 Nm	~36-40 Nm
0-100 km/h	3.4 seconds	~3 seconds
Maximum speed	135 km/h	160 km/h
Weight	115 kg	starts from 150 kg
Energy/range	6.4 kWh, ~25 km on a single charge	several hours on a full tank

The conclusion from the table is this: the high-torque electric kart comes out ahead on twisty tracks, while gasoline is superior on tracks with long straights. The price side is also interesting - a good electric racing kart with two years of software and telemetry updates costs around $17,500, while a new shifter kart is in the $10,000-20,000 range. So at first glance electric is expensive, but it levels the conditions.

Why is the driving feel completely different?

Think of it this way: when your phone's charge indicator drops from 100% to 20%, it doesn't suddenly slow down, but as its energy decreases you struggle. The driving of an electric kart is similar to this. The electric motor delivers torque instantly from zero ; the moment you press the throttle, the power is right there. In a gasoline kart, revs rise gradually, and you accelerate while feeling the engine's character. On the tight, twisty tracks of indoor venues, you clearly feel this instant torque difference.

But there is another side to the coin. The gasoline kart keeps its power nearly constant until the tank empties, while the electric kart can lose power at the end of a session when the battery weakens. First-generation electric karts drained quickly for this reason - new batteries now last through a full session, and fast charging recovers a large portion of capacity in a short time. Under intensive use, one charge provides about 20-30 minutes of driving; full charging time typically varies between 45 minutes and 1.5 hours. In cold weather, electric has a clear advantage: no warm-up hassle, full power from the first lap.

There is also the sound issue. An electric kart is almost silent, and there is no exhaust smoke either. That makes it ideal for indoor tracks. Petrol karts, on the other hand, are loud and vibrating - for some this is the very soul of karting, while for others it is the reason for neighborhood pressure and city bans.

Maintenance and costs: from the track owner's perspective

Bir elektrikli kartın pistteki enerji masrafı benzinlinin onda biri bile değil; asıl ödeme, uzun vadede öngörülebilirliğe yapılıyor.

An electric kart requires almost no engine maintenance. No oil, no carburetor, no spark plug, no belt - the number of moving parts is dramatically low. With a petrol kart, regular oil changes, filters, spark plugs and tuning are a never-ending routine. For track operators, the real difference lies in energy costs: the electricity cost per session for an electric kart is around $0.20-0.30; for the petrol equivalent this figure climbs to $1.50-2.50.

The overall picture shapes up like this: the initial investment cost of an electric kart is higher, but because maintenance and energy costs are low, the long-term cost becomes more predictable. Also, modern electric karts mostly come with telemetry as standard (GPS, live data, RPM, torque and temperature logging); standard petrol racing karts almost never have such systems. For driver development this is a serious data advantage - being able to analyze every lap makes a big difference in a sport as precise as karting.

Where is the electric revolution in the racing world?

Here is the most critical question. Official championships at the moment - from club level to world level - are still run on petrol and outdoor tracks. On the electric side, institutionalization has only just begun, but it is moving fast:

FIA has approved technical and homologation regulations for Junior and Senior e-karting categories; the goal is to create new championships and international series dedicated to electric racing
Rotax E20 became the first e-kart to receive CIK-FIA approval; Rotax's E-Kart championship runs over three rounds in Germany and Italy, in two classes, E20 Senior and E20 Junior
In Rotax's E10 and E20 power units, all drivers receive the same power output - no tuning advantage, racing is entirely skill-based
The BeNeLux Electric Karting League is active; registrations for the Electric Karting Series are open for 2026, and the Electric Rental Karting Championship (ERKC) organizes an international rental kart event

Rotax's "same power, pure talent" approach is especially valuable. In petrol karting, engine tuning, gearing and budget differences can affect results; on electric platforms, everyone theoretically takes to the track with identical equipment. This could make the game a little fairer, especially for young drivers on tight budgets.

So what is the situation in Türkiye?

Karting infrastructure is alive and well in Türkiye: Tuzla Karting Park is İstanbul's only professionally licensed karting track and one of Türkiye's most comprehensive outdoor circuits; a round of the 2026 Türkiye Karting Championship was also held there. Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Karting Track and Körfez Karting Track are active race venues; BOM Karting opened its 2026 season at the İzmit Körfez Track and ran its second round in Bursa. The TOSFED-licensed hobby track list covers a broad network starting from Kocaeli and extending to İstanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Antalya, Konya, Adana and Eskişehir.

On the electric side, the picture is more scattered: encountering electric karts at indoor and hobby tracks is increasingly becoming the norm, but there is not yet a dedicated electric karting championship in our country. In other words, while Türkiye for now races in the petrol-powered format and watches the electric side, on the world stage, as FIA regulations settle in and series multiply, this picture seems bound to change.

What does an electric kart mean for young drivers?

Karting is the starting point for almost every professional racing driver; the road to F1 usually begins with karting around the age of 5-8. Hobby karts are designed for children aged 4-10, and in racing classes the rules on engine capacity, tires, chassis and weight are determined in detail according to age group. Türkiye is full of names to be proud of in this regard: Zayn Sofuoğlu, one of Türkiye's youngest karting drivers, finished first in the Micro Destek Cup in his first season; Aras Pınar started in the Türkiye Karting Championship at age 9; 13-year-old Yiğit Arslan reached the podium in the mini category and announced that he is targeting F1; and Alp Aksoy signed with the Ferrari Driver Academy at 16. In races in Bursa, young people aged 7-17 take to the track from all corners of Türkiye.

There are no clear analyses yet on the electric kart's direct impact on this developmental journey, but two indirect points stand out. The first is telemetry: the standard data logging in electric karts allows a young driver to review every lap with a coach. The second is the equal power output principle: an environment where everyone races with identical equipment shifts the talent-versus-budget debate somewhat in favor of talent. Considering that motorsport is a school, these two features are promising.

Will electric replace petrol in racing?

The short-term answer: no. The heart of competitive racing still beats in petrol engines for now, and the top speed difference remains decisive on tracks with long straights. But on the indoor and hobby side, the trend is clearly electric; silence, low operating costs and ease of maintenance are enough to convince track operators. Battery technology is also advancing rapidly - in academia, even kart electrification with second-hand lithium-ion batteries is now being researched.

The picture I see is this: electric karting won't replace gasoline, it will be added alongside it. Indoors it's electric, outdoors and in championships gasoline will remain for a while longer. What do I recommend to you? For your first rental kart experience, start with electric - it's quiet and easy to use, and you'll comfortably learn basic braking and throttle technique. When you get to the seriousness of racing, knowing both worlds gives you an advantage. Which do you think will spread first - the silent revolution or the fury of the two-stroke crowd? See you in the comments!