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They say the first car race occurred shortly after the second car was built. Speed junkies have long created races around just about every form of transportation out there, so it comes as no surprise that electric scooter racing would eventually pop up.

What is surprising though is just how freaking fast these racing scooters actually are, capable of exceeding 60 mph (100 km/h) on what looks like an overgrown kid’s toy.

But these are far from any children’s toy I’ve seen. Weighing in at 77 lb (35 kg), the YCOM S1-X electric scooters were custom-built for the eSkootr Championship (eSC).

The eSC is the first and only high-speed standing electric scooter racing league, and it’s as bonkers as it sounds. We first covered the league over a year ago when it announced its intentions and began looking for teams.

Fortunately for everyone who has ever wanted to see dudes on small-wheeled scooters take turns at highway speeds, enough teams signed up that the league was able to get off the ground and rolling.

Earlier this year eSC unveiled its S1-X electric scooter, and now we’re getting our closest look yet at the new scooters, along with an inside scoop on how they were tested ahead of next year’s racing commencement.

Racing will start in 2022 on specially-designed circuits ranging in length from 400 to 800 meters (1,300 to 2,600 feet).

To minimize costs for racing teams and lower the barriers to entry, the eSC decided to standardize around a single scooter design. Motorsport engineering company YCOM was chosen as the designer, ultimately producing the high-power S1-X electric scooter for the league.

The 12 kW (16 hp) electric scooters split their power between two in-wheel hub motors, and a special boost button will be available to dump an extra 20% power on straightaways. Stored energy comes from a 1.5 kWh battery under the deck of the scooter.

We’ve seen other electric scooters achieve ranges of over 60 miles (100 km) with a battery of that size, but at much more reasonable speeds of around 25 mph (40 km/h). At the speeds and power levels that the eSC will see, don’t expect anywhere near that range. A dozen or so laps of a less-than-half-mile track could be all she wrote for such small batteries.

The scooter’s carbon fiber chassis is described by YCOM as being clad in bodywork that is “aerodynamic and environmentally-friendly,” though it’s not clear how they earned the latter part of that designator. Between the carbon fiber chassis and machined aluminum components, the scooter is actually fairly lightweight for such a high-power ride.

We’ve tested other electric scooters that achieved speeds nearly this fast yet weighed around 25% more.

So far, YCOM has delivered 10 electric scooters and has another 20 more in the works to be delivered before racing begins.

The first 10 units began trials with a group of 16 riders, but the first tests were run with the scooters limited to 40% power.

As testing progressed, the power was incrementally increased up to 70%. By that point, riders reported feeling “fatigued by the physical demands of such speeds and lean angles of up to 55 degrees.”

YCOM explained that “with improved physical conditioning and additional practice in October testing, it is hoped that the riders will be able to use 100% power as well as the additional 20% temporary boost function in the first race.”

Electrek’s Take

People are always going to ride fast, powerful, and sometimes crazy-looking contraptions as long as they exist. At least this way it can be done in a somewhat regulated, presumably supervised fashion and with paramedics standing by.

And at least we can all watch.

While this does sound extreme (and it is), I will say I’m glad to see that the riders are outfitted with full motorcycle racing suits and helmets, and it looks like they are serious about safety. Creating custom-designed race tracks is also a good step in the right direction. Some of the worst automotive racing disasters in history have come about from vehicles racing on tracks that weren’t designed for them (the 1955 Le Mans disaster springs to mind).

So, if people are going to take small-wheeled, overpowered, and unstable vehicles up to breakneck speeds, at least they’re going to do it in a controlled and entertaining fashion. What more can you ask for?

You better believe we’ll be following up to see how these daredevils fare when the power is cranked to the max. Stick around for more coverage in the future, and let us know your thoughts on the eSC’s racing plans in the comment section below.


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British Airways pulls Louis Theroux podcast funding over Bob Vylan interview

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British Airways pulls Louis Theroux podcast funding over Bob Vylan interview

British Airways (BA) has paused its sponsorship of The Louis Theroux Podcast following an interview with Bob Vylan’s frontman.

Pascal Robinson-Foster, one half of the controversial punk duo, told Theroux in an episode which aired earlier this week that he was “not regretful” of chanting “death, death to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]” at this year’s Glastonbury.

He added that he would “do it again tomorrow, twice on Sundays”.

British Airways said on Saturday that the content “breaches” its sponsorship policy and has since paused its advertising on the podcast, the Jewish News first reported.

An airline spokesperson said: “Our sponsorship of the series has now been paused and the advert has been removed.

“We’re grateful that this was brought to our attention, as the content clearly breaches our sponsorship policy in relation to politically sensitive or controversial subject matters.

“We and our third-party media agency have processes in place to ensure these issues don’t occur and we’re investigating how this happened.”

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Bobby Vylan crowd surfs during his performance at Glastonbury Festival. Pic: PA
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Bobby Vylan crowd surfs during his performance at Glastonbury Festival. Pic: PA

Following Bob Vylan’s Glastonbury performance, the band were dropped by a number of festivals and performances including Radar festival, a show at a German music venue and their US tour after their visas were revoked.

The comments were condemned by the US as a “hateful tirade” and “appalling hate speech” by British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

The BBC’s Executive Complaints Unit has since found the broadcast of Bob Vylan’s set breached editorial standards related to harm and offence.

The band have also had to reschedule dates of its upcoming We Won’t Go Quietly UK tour in Manchester and Leeds after Jewish leaders and politicians called for the show to be postponed.

Theroux has not commented on BA pausing its sponsorship of his podcast. Pic: AP
Image:
Theroux has not commented on BA pausing its sponsorship of his podcast. Pic: AP

In a statement on Facebook, the group said: “Due to political pressure from the likes of Bridget Phillipson and groups in the Northwest of England we have had to reschedule our Leeds and Manchester shows.

“All tickets remain valid and all other shows are continuing as planned.”

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Calls for Bob Vylan concert to be cancelled

When asked by Theroux, Vylan said he was taken aback by the uproar the chant has caused, saying: “It wasn’t like we came off stage, and everybody was like [gasps]. It’s just normal.”

He added that he wanted an end to “the oppression that Palestinian people are facing”.

Read more: Who are Bob Vylan?

Despite the criticism, the group have seen support from fans, with their album Humble As The Sun re-entering the charts and climbing to number one in the UK Hip Hop and R&B album category.

A spokesperson at Mindhouse Productions – which was founded by Theroux and produces The Louis Theroux Podcast – has not commented on the BA sponsorship, but told Sky News: “Louis is a journalist with a long history of speaking to controversial figures who may divide opinion.

“We would suggest people watch or listen to the interview in its entirety to get the full context of the conversation.”

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Rapper Ghetts charged after man killed in hit-and-run

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Rapper Ghetts charged after man killed in hit-and-run

The rapper Ghetts has been charged after a man was killed in a hit-and-run in northeast London.

The musician, whose real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, was charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

He allegedly failed to stop after hitting a 20-year-old man in Ilford last Saturday, the Met Police said.

The 41-year-old appeared at Stratford Magistrates’ Court on Monday – the same day the man died in hospital.

The indictment is expected to change from causing serious injury to causing death by dangerous driving at the next hearing.

Ghetts was remanded into custody and is due to appear at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on 27 October.

The police are appealing for witnesses to the crash to come forward.

Read more from Sky News:
Two charged in connection with arson attack on mosque
Furious Trump cancels ‘all trade negotiations’ with Canada

Ghetts is a grime rapper who played at Glastonbury last year and has collaborated with Ed Sheeran, Stormzy and Skepta.

He also had a role in the Netflix drama Supacell.

Last year, he received the Mobo Pioneer Award for his significant contribution to British black culture.

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‘People want you to stay in your lane’: Reese Witherspoon on her ‘deeply personal’ decision to write a novel

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'People want you to stay in your lane': Reese Witherspoon on her 'deeply personal' decision to write a novel

It is “pretty surreal”, Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon admits, finding herself at the top of The New York Times bestsellers list.

When I meet the actress alongside her co-writer, best-selling author Harlan Coben, overnight the pair have learned that their thriller is now at number one.

He jokes: “I was texting her last night and saying you’ll now have to call yourself number one bestselling novelist, forget about Oscar winner!”

Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben told Katie Spencer about their novel Gone Before Goodbye
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Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben told Katie Spencer about their novel Gone Before Goodbye

As one of the most successful authors in the world, Coben has sold over 80 million books to date, while for Witherspoon this is new ground.

Not content with running a hugely successful production company responsible for a string of hits, as well as one of the most successful book clubs in the world, she explains she felt compelled to give writing a try.

“People want you to stay in your lane… as a creative person I think it’s impossible to just choose one kind of life.

“Creativity is infinite and who I was as a creative person when I was 20 is very different from the person I am now at 49.”

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Gone Before Goodbye, a thriller about a talented surgeon who finds herself caught up in a deadly conspiracy, is the result of Witherspoon daring to put her head above the parapet.

Witherspoon says she felt compelled to give writing a try
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Witherspoon says she felt compelled to give writing a try

Coben admits he was “a little wary” at first.

“I don’t co-write novels but when she made the pitch and started talking about it, I was like ‘dang that’s good, we can do something with that’.”

While countless celebrities work with ghostwriters, Coben says: “I said to her from day one ‘it’s only going to be you and me in here… no third person in here, I don’t do that’. So every word you [read] comes from Reese and me.”

Coben has sold over 80 million books to date, while for Witherspoon this is new ground
Image:
Coben has sold over 80 million books to date, while for Witherspoon this is new ground

Witherspoon explains: “He was like ‘if we’re going to do this, it’s going to have to be at a really high level because people going to expect a lot, so our bar was really high.”

“I said to her, in the beginning, novels are like a sausage,” Coben laughs. “You might like the final taste, but you don’t want to see how it was made and Reese got to see the full sausage getting made here.”

Read more from Sky News:
Bob Vylan’s gig postponed
Tainted Love star dies
Strictly stars to quit

When it came to writing, Coben says they “fell into a rhythm right away”, working together in three-hour stints, “back and forth with a yellow legal pad – what about this? What about that?”

Coben says they 'fell into a rhythm right away'
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Coben says they ‘fell into a rhythm right away’

Witherspoon says it “feels really deeply personal” to have their work now in print.

“Usually, as an actor, I walk into other people’s worlds and it’s already set up… but this was creating the whole world with Harlan and just from beginning to end feels very personal.”

While the story seems an obvious fit for being adapted to the screen, perhaps with a certain blonde actress in the leading role, Coben says that was never their intention.

“The biggest, biggest mistake novelists make when you write a book is to say ‘this would make a really great movie’. A book is a book, a movie is a movie, and we both focused on wanting this to be just a great reading experience.”

Given that their collaboration is already selling in big numbers, will the pair team up again to write a second?

Witherspoon says: “Let’s just see what people think of this one first.”

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