Electrification lies at the heart of the cars competing in adolescent motorsport series Extreme E but there is a new player in town, Siobhan Doyle reports
Electrification lies at the heart of the cars competing in adolescent motorsport series Extreme E, but there is a new player in town. Siobhan Doyle reports.
With its inaugural season taking place in April 2021, Extreme E is an off-road racing series which highlights electric sports utility vehicles (SUVs) across some of the world’s most remote and challenging environments. Founded by the same team behind Formula E, the series’ goal is to highlight the impact of climate change and promote the adoption of electric vehicles for a lower carbon future.
Recently, Extreme E compiled and produced a sustainability report on its third season held last year in collaboration with accounting firm EY. The report reveals that the racing series maintained its carbon-neutral status and reduced its overall carbon footprint by 8.2%.
EY teams calculated that 8,301tCO2e was emitted during its third season – down from 9,045tCO2e across its second season – despite travelling further afield and holding double-header races at each X Prix.
“Extreme E remains a powerful example of how a business can be successfully reimagined as a more sustainable model,” says Dr Matthew Bell, EY Global Climate Change and Sustainability Services Leader. “Ultimately, the report shows that the racing series is going from strength to strength, with its carbon footprint falling. This serves the broader ambition of promoting awareness around the planet’s climate crisis and leaving a more sustainable future for tomorrow’s generation.”
The organisation credits its race site infrastructure, powered by 100% renewable energy including the use of green hydrogen in remote locations produced by Saudi Arabian electric utility company Enowa’s hydrogen fuel cell system, as one of the main reasons for this reduction. But it is also important to acknowledge the electric technology, among other efforts across the races, for contributing to this.
The electric dream
The championship cars are a one-design fleet: a fully electric SUV named Odyssey 21. To withstand the harsh conditions endured at each race, the car’s peak 400kw output is capable of firing the 1,895kg, 2.3m wide e-SUV from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds, at gradients of up to 130%.
Meanwhile, its batteries are specially designed and developed by Williams Advanced Engineering and take inspiration from the batteries used in the new Gen3 car seen at the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, starting in 2023. Designed to withstand the extreme temperatures, conditions and terrains, the batteries produce a maximum power output of 400kW. And in the first two seasons, teams were provided with identical 54kWh battery packs.
Other ventures
Extreme E, however, is also introducing an emerging technology within the automotive world into motorsport: hydrogen. Indeed, its organisers have laid the groundwork for an Extreme H racing series to launch in 2025 after reaching an agreement with motorsport association the FIA.
Following the Extreme E model, Extreme H will be based around a newly designed spec car developed by automobile company Spark Racing Technology. It will be powered by a control hydrogen fuel cell that will produce the same power-to-weight ratio as the current Extreme E Odyssey 21 machine.
In December 2023, Extreme H completed the first major milestone in its development, having successfully carried out a shakedown of the series’ first prototype chassis ahead of the launch of the new championship in 2025. The car is set to undergo a rigorous testing programme later this year ahead of its official launch and it is hoped the car will participate in simulation races alongside Extreme E next year.
“We are pleased with the progress of our concept, which believe will deliver strong performance levels and break the mould in terms of innovation not just in motorsport, but with potential for the future of mobility more widely,” says Mark Grain, Technical Director of Extreme E.
