Racing Rewired: Ellis Spiezia’s Electric Revolution

Ellis Spiezia isn’t just a racer—he’s a trailblazer, redefining the future of motorsport. At 19 years old, he has already made history as the world’s first native electric racing driver, having competed in electric-powered machines since the dawn of his career. His journey from a kid enthusiastic about karting to becoming a global ambassador for sustainable racing is nothing short of remarkable.

Born and raised throughout the United States, Spiezia first stepped into a go-kart at the age of four, sharing a passion for racing with his grandfather. However, his dream of competitive racing had to be put on hold until he discovered a local indoor track at a shopping center that hosted a competitive league. Winning the championship at the first time of asking, Ellis ‘Renegade’ Spiezia’s journey in motorsport had officially begun. 

By 17, his impact on the sport had already been recognized when he was nominated for the Young Athlete of the Year award at the inaugural 2022 BBC Green Sport Awards.

Yet, in 2020, amid global uncertainty, Spiezia made a high-stakes gamble on his future, uprooting his life to move to Germany in search of greater career opportunities. He has sacrificed everything for the sport, leaving behind friends, family, and a typical teenage life to pursue racing. 

Why Electric Vehicles? “It just came down to access,” Spiezia explains.

 “The electric motorsport space has always been very ‘arrive and drive.’ For a kid who had no idea if I was going to be any good or not, we took that chance—and now it’s paid off immensely.”

During the Zoom call, the simulator in the background, along with the trophies and PC setup, offered a glimpse into the journey he was about to tell.

Facing mounting backlash over its environmental impact, Formula 1 has pledged to cut CO2 emissions across all operations and reach Net Zero by 2030. Critics point to the sport’s reliance on fossil fuels and carbon-heavy logistics, demanding action.

Meanwhile, Formula E set the benchmark in 2020, becoming the first global sport to achieve a net zero carbon footprint. By investing in climate protection projects across race markets, it has offset emissions every season, proving sustainability is possible. As pressure intensifies, the question remains, do these electric series actually  make a difference?

In the NXT Gen Cup in 2023 Spiezia finished third in the series in a LRT NXT1 Mini Cooper, before adventuring into the FIA RX2e Championship, an all-electric support series for the FIA World Rallycross Championship. In 2024 he made his debut in  NitroCross Las Vegas as a Next Evo driver.

“Driving Rally Cross with Nitro this year was eye-opening” Spiezia says. “They took an already crazy side of the sport, which is Rallycross and then pretty much just upped everything.”

Despite these efforts, Spiezia believes real change must come from the top. “The people that need to step up are the champions. They have the most reach,” says Spiezia. 

While teams are eager to implement sustainability initiatives, budget constraints limit their impact. That’s why structural changes, like reworking race calendars to reduce travel emissions and tapping into local renewable energy sources, are crucial. 

With feeder series like Formula 4 to Formula 2, Formula E lacks these opportunities.

Spiezia Drives Sustainability Off the Track

Living a sustainable life as a driver includes charging electric carts from a local solar grid to hands-on workshops and stem based educational programs. 

“We can try and change the minds of diehard motorsport fans—the ones who grew up watching a certain type of the sport,” Spiezia notes. “Or we can go headfirst into the young generation that’s not biased, that doesn’t care whether it’s gas or electric.”

Recognizing the challenge of shifting perspectives in motorsport. His approach? Engaging young fans through interactive experiences. Spiezia says the way to inspire them is by helping them learn in a fun way. 

“Motorsport is so diverse, drivers, strategists, engineers, pit crews, mechanics. When you put that into an education program, it’s streamlined and engaging, because everyone loves cool cars.”

Spiezia remains a gamer at heart. Over the past six months, he has been developing a hyper-realistic racing game on Roblox, designed to give young fans a unique and immersive experience. It would allow a kid sitting in the grandstands at a race weekend to pick up their phone between heats and drive the same car he does.

The Challenges of Choosing a More Sustainable Path

“There’s benefits to being the first one to jump in that race car, but there’s also drawbacks but the main thing is that we’re always trying to move forward.”

Challenges are inevitable when pioneering new technology in motorsport. From series cancellations and delays to technical failures, being the first to drive untested cars often means facing unpredictable setbacks. Acting as the guinea pig comes with risks, but the industry is seeing more established series step in to provide much-needed support.

Spiezia takes pride in holding a rare and influential position in motorsport, having pioneered electric racing across multiple series, securing historic wins and aside from Formula E he has dived into nearly every electric racing category available to him.

“To be able to have that reset switch in such a legacy sport, like this is really rare,” says Spiezia. “To be the one in a lot of these series, to take that first pole position or take that first win is super special.”

Fueled by a passion he remains unwavering in his commitment, believing that after coming this far, quitting is not an option. Racing is his purpose, and he will push forward no matter the obstacles.

“We’re seeing more and more established series, making the jump to give support and that’s what we need,” he explained, “and it’s part of the ride.”

The debate of Internal Combustion Engines vs Electric Motors 

Like most sports with a deep-rooted history, change is hard to accept. Some popular misconceptions about electric racing is that they lack the traditional sounds, visual appeal and ‘have no soul’.

“Trying to replace Combustion motorsport is where all the mistakes are,” Spiezia said. “Trying to take the same formula but make it electric.”

Electric racing vehicles are influencing the cars on everyday roads. Drivers like Spiezia are doing all the development work similar to how manufacturers develop their road cars, but to the extreme side. 

Spiezia encourages aspiring racers to take advantage of every opportunity, whether it’s using a simulator or racing an electric kart in a shopping mall. He stresses the importance of making small, consistent improvements in both driving skills and equipment, emphasizing that rental karts offer an affordable yet competitive entry point into the sport. 

He’s also working to bring more electric karts to the U.S. to offer an alternative to traditional combustion karting, helping nurture the next generation of drivers.

With a career announcement to come for the 2025 season, Spiezia says “We’re going to be on track, we’re gonna be going flat out as always.”