Published: 28 May 2025
Author: Vroomkart International
Columns: Interview
In a time where every technological shift seems to spark ideological conflict, electric karting stands out as a rare example of quiet evolution. Blue Shock Race founder Artis Daugins, in a recent interview, offered a refreshingly pragmatic view: electric karts aren’t here to save the planet—but ignoring innovation just because it’s new is equally misguided. (fm)
Let’s be honest: if a conversation hasn’t progressed in years, maybe it’s because we’ve been asking the wrong questions. Every time a new electric racing vehicle is unveiled, social media lights up with the usual backlash—nostalgia for the roar of combustion engines, accusations of "EV propaganda". The debate, now shorthand as EV Vs ICE (Electric Vehicle Vs Internal Combustion Engine), has become less about facts and more about identity, as if embracing electric tech means betraying some mechanical heritage.
But racing, like society, is evolving—and not just technically, but culturally. In our full conversation with Artis Daugins—available on our YouTube channel—the Latvian entrepreneur laid out why electric karts have already carved out a role in the rental and leisure sectors and why outdated assumptions are holding the sport back.
“When I started this company,” said Daugins, “I wasn’t trying to ‘save the environment.’ I just wanted to expand the racing landscape. You’ve got two-strokes, air-cooled, water-cooled, four-strokes, direct drive, shifters—and now, you have electric. That’s it.”
His point is simple: the goal isn’t to replace combustion engines, but to add another option. The narrative of electric replacing combustion as a binary, winner-takes-all scenario is not only reductive—it’s wrong. There's space in the sport for both the thrill of a two-stroke and the smooth acceleration of an electric powertrain.
One of Daugins' most compelling insights is sociological: younger generations are less inclined to “get their hands dirty.” The deep, mechanical literacy once passed down from parent to child is fading. In a world where convenience is king, the appeal of an electric kart that requires zero maintenance—just plug in at the end of the day—can’t be overstated. It's not about being better; it’s about being accessible. And for many newcomers, that could be the gateway into the sport.
Of course, there’s still a place for the romantic vision of karting—weekends in the garage, the familiar smell of fuel, the rattle of an old engine handed down through generations. But in recreational racing, where the emphasis is on pure fun and adrenaline, electric karts are already winning ground. They’re reliable, low-maintenance, and incredibly easy to operate.
“Every human activity leaves a footprint,” Daugins noted. “We’d be naive to think electric karting will solve the world’s environmental problems—it won’t. And to be honest, that’s not our mission.”
It’s a refreshingly honest stance—no greenwashing, no virtue signaling. Just a recognition that the electric option is another way forward, not the only way.
At Blue Shock Race, the philosophy is clear: let electric and combustion co-exist. Let new ideas breathe alongside tradition. In a world increasingly obsessed with drawing battle lines, Daugins is advocating for inclusion over exclusion—for “electric alongside combustion,” not versus. And perhaps that’s why his metaphor hits home: the electric kart isn’t some ideological trophy. It’s just an iPhone on wheels—sleek, intuitive, instantly usable. And like the iPhone, it’s here not to end the old way of doing things, but to offer something new to those who might never have stepped on the track otherwise.
But racing, like society, is evolving—and not just technically, but culturally. In our full conversation with Artis Daugins—available on our YouTube channel—the Latvian entrepreneur laid out why electric karts have already carved out a role in the rental and leisure sectors and why outdated assumptions are holding the sport back.
“When I started this company,” said Daugins, “I wasn’t trying to ‘save the environment.’ I just wanted to expand the racing landscape. You’ve got two-strokes, air-cooled, water-cooled, four-strokes, direct drive, shifters—and now, you have electric. That’s it.”
His point is simple: the goal isn’t to replace combustion engines, but to add another option. The narrative of electric replacing combustion as a binary, winner-takes-all scenario is not only reductive—it’s wrong. There's space in the sport for both the thrill of a two-stroke and the smooth acceleration of an electric powertrain.
One of Daugins' most compelling insights is sociological: younger generations are less inclined to “get their hands dirty.” The deep, mechanical literacy once passed down from parent to child is fading. In a world where convenience is king, the appeal of an electric kart that requires zero maintenance—just plug in at the end of the day—can’t be overstated. It's not about being better; it’s about being accessible. And for many newcomers, that could be the gateway into the sport.
Of course, there’s still a place for the romantic vision of karting—weekends in the garage, the familiar smell of fuel, the rattle of an old engine handed down through generations. But in recreational racing, where the emphasis is on pure fun and adrenaline, electric karts are already winning ground. They’re reliable, low-maintenance, and incredibly easy to operate.
“Every human activity leaves a footprint,” Daugins noted. “We’d be naive to think electric karting will solve the world’s environmental problems—it won’t. And to be honest, that’s not our mission.”
It’s a refreshingly honest stance—no greenwashing, no virtue signaling. Just a recognition that the electric option is another way forward, not the only way.
At Blue Shock Race, the philosophy is clear: let electric and combustion co-exist. Let new ideas breathe alongside tradition. In a world increasingly obsessed with drawing battle lines, Daugins is advocating for inclusion over exclusion—for “electric alongside combustion,” not versus. And perhaps that’s why his metaphor hits home: the electric kart isn’t some ideological trophy. It’s just an iPhone on wheels—sleek, intuitive, instantly usable. And like the iPhone, it’s here not to end the old way of doing things, but to offer something new to those who might never have stepped on the track otherwise.
