"Pod-racing meets Dakar Rally" Extreme E launches virtually

“Short, sharp wheel-to-wheel racing” will be part of the foundation of Extreme E when it launches next year. The series aims to promote 100 per cent electric vehicles while educating viewers on issues surrounding climate change and gender equality.

Races will be held over a range of environments threatened by climate change and without spectators, with fans able to vote to give drivers a better chance of victory and power boosts available to cars that travel furthest over jumps in the course.

Founder Alejandro Agag revealed how the series plans to operate during a virtual unveiling of the cars and liveries of all nine teams signed up to take part in the inaugural season, including those of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.

“Our Virtual Launch has been an incredible format to unveil our Season 1 calendar and the team cars, whilst also refining our virtual experience capabilities – a key theme of Extreme E – particularly during the time of Covid-19,” Agag said.

“Our team has been working really hard behind the scenes and despite the pandemic and the challenges it has provided, we are on track for our first race in March 2021. The series has gained massive momentum with no less than two Formula 1 world champions signing up with their own teams alongside other powerhouses in the motorsport world, and there is much more to come as we announce drivers in the coming months.”

Each team will compete in a standard Odyssey 21 SUV, powered by an 400KW electric battery capable of producing 500hp, going from 0-60mph in 4.5sec and capable of tackling gradients up to 130per cent. The niobium alloy tubular chassis will be covered in either the standard Extreme E bodywork, or teams’ unique designs, which can include bodywork that replicates road-going cars.

The lithium-ion battery designed by Williams Advanced Engineering is capable of keeping 600 phones charged for an entire week. Cars will be recharged with power from hydrogen fuel cells, with no emissions apart from water at the site of races.

A five-round championship will form the first Extreme E season, with visits to Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Greenland, Brazil and Argentina, beginning in the Rub Al-Khali desert on 20-21 March.

Agag says the series has taken inspiration from real and fictional worlds in helping shape its racing format while sustainability and environmentally-friendly operation are at the forefront of the project.