Chip brings the excitement

He’s a risk-taker. He’s a record-setter.

And he’s out to prove that electric vehicles are not boring.

He’s Chip Yates.

Mr Yates has built the world’s fastest electric airplane and he also holds eight land speed records on a motorcycle.

He will be one of the speakers at Saturday’s Tedx Conference at the Fairmont Southampton.

Mr Yates said: “I’m really excited to be coming to Bermuda. I just came from the California Capitol Air Show in Sacramento and I thought that was going to be exciting flying in front of 100,000 people — and it was — but the minute we got home last week my team I started preparations for Bermuda.”

He said a custom video is being developed for the Tedx Conference.

He added: “We have pictures of risk taking and record-setting and all other kinds of fun stuff. We’ll also be dusting off our snorkels and masks, so we’re thrilled on every level to come.”

Mr Yates said: “I started at a regular desk job and I quit that to become a motorcycle racer. I got hurt and then built an electric motorcycle. I retired from that to build an electric airplane, but the mission I’m on now is to take this electric airplane and the technology that goes with it, to recharge it mid-air as it flies.

“I want to be able to use that to inspire people. I want to help issue in a new era of electric flight where people are flying them one day soon.”

His aircraft can go faster than some gas planes.

Mr Yates said: “When that happens, it is really, really exciting. When I started developing an electric motorcycle, the other ones that were out there were more in the scooter category.”

When he started working on his superbike he told his team “This motorcycle will have to do the same speeds as a gas motorcycle or I’m not going to want to ride it. It was easier said than done and we struggled for a year, but at the end of the day we pulled it off and I am going to show pictures of us beating Honda superbikes.”

He said electric vehicles have to “be more than a salutation to a green effort” they have to be able to compare to gas vehicles.

“That’s when there is value to people,” Yates said.

The risk-taker said: “I’m a motorcycle rider and an engineer. Both of them are pretty good but neither are stellar. What I found when I combined those to be the daredevil and test rider, that was a stronger package to bring forward.”