The FIM is certainly giving more than lip service to the electric bike cause, with news that it's sanctioning a 2010 series for the battery brigade.
The series will fall under the control of the FIM's road racing grand prix commission, and be co-ordinated by Azhar Hussain, who was the entrepreneur behind the inaugural TTXGP at this year's Isle of Man (here).
The FIM series will provide an international platform for the development of electric bikes, aimed at driving low-carbon technological innovation forward and to demonstrate that clean-emission transport technologies have matured.
"The future of the sport depends on our capacity as well as that of the manufacturers to innovate quickly," said FIM president Vito Ippolito. "We are convinced that very shortly the motorcycle world championships will be accessible to non-polluting engines as far as gas and sound emissions are concerned."
The FIM will now bunker down to draft some rules for the new class, as well as working out a calendar.