Extreme E: learn all about the new electric off-road odyssey
The time has come to raise the curtain on one of the most intriguing and disruptive forms of motorsport since the invention of the internal combustion engine. Thing is, this new star-studded international motorsports series doesn’t even use an internal combustion engine.
Welcome to the brave new all-electric, off-road world of Extreme E – and just in case you’ve been living under a rock for the last 12 months, here are five reasons why it is a high speed and ecologically minded game changer and is essential viewing for petrol heads looking for something new.
What is Extreme E?
It all started at breakfast. More specifically the kernel of an idea emerged one morning between Formula E founder Alejandro Agag and Indianapolis 500 winner Gil de Ferran. The pair envisaged a spectacular globetrotting, electric-powered, off-road motorsport adventure providing box office entertainment whilst also shining a light on environmental concerns whilst visiting remote locations around the globe locations especially vulnerable to climate change. On a ship. More about the ship later.
What are the racing machines like?
The Spark Odyssey 21, developed by Spark Racing Technologies, will be the weapon of choice for all teams and competitors. The low slung machine features a revolutionary battery-electric power plant, produced by Williams Advanced Engineering, in a niobium-reinforced steel alloy tubular frame on all-terrain tyres, for both extreme winter and summer requirements, supplied by founding partner Continental Tyres.
The Spark Odyssey 21 lowdown
- 400kw (550hp)
- 1650-kilogram
- 2.3-metre wide
- 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds, at gradients of up to 130 percent
Who will be competing?
The drivers and teams signed up for the inaugural season on Extreme E are absolutely A-list. In terms of the men and women behind the wheel, fans will see Sébastien Loeb, Jamie Chadwick, Jenson Button, Carlos Sainz Snr, Sara Price, Laia Sanz and Mattias Ekström a mouth-watering line up of champions spanning multiple two and four-wheeled racing disciplines.
And the list of nine teams competing in Extreme E is a collection of bona fide racing royalty. ABT Cupra XE, Andretti Autosport, Chip Ganassi Racing, HWA Team, JBXE, Veloce Racing, Lewis Hamilton's Team X44, Hispano-Suiza Xite Energy Team and Rosberg Xtreme Racing will be fielding a brace of drivers – one male and one female, throughout the five-event schedule.
Where will they be racing?
Founder and CEO Alejandro Agag has put environmentalism at the forefront of the series by mapping out the championship schedule in areas of the world that are under threat from climate change. From Greenland to Saudi Arabia and the Brazilian rainforests, the five events that make up Extreme E will visit places untouched by conventional motorsport, and to reinforce the green message underpinning the series, teams will use the RMS St. Helena as a floating paddock, transporting the logistics and infrastructure by sea, rather than air.
How will a race weekend be shaped?
With international broadcasters on board, the fast and varied race weekend will be packed with action for fans watching at home. Races will take place in the form of an X Prix - a two lap dash around a 20 mile course. Four teams with two drivers will complete a lap each over a two day schedule, with qualifying taking place on the first day of racing to determine the top four runners.
The top four will progress through into Semi-Final 1 with the bottom four competitors battling it out in Semi-Final 2 with only the quickest able to progress onto the final. The overall winner of the X Prix will be the fastest combination of team, drivers, car and engineers over the two-day event.
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