Extreme E - electric SUV off-road series announced

Extreme E, an electric SUV racing series, is scheduled to take place in 2021. Five events will be conducted in the Arctic region, Himalayas, Sahara Desert, Amazon rainforest and the islands of Indian Ocean. The fully-funded racing series has secured the backing of Continental Tyres as a founding partner and the tyre supplier, while CBMM will support it by integrating Niobium products in the electric SUVs’ chassis.

The Extreme E series will be operated in association with Formula E, the all-electric racing competition, which is currently in its fifth season. Conceptualised by Alejandro Agag, founder and CEO of Formula E and Gil de Ferran, racing driver and winner of the 2003 Indianapolis 500, the series aims to increase awareness about issues like melting ice caps, deforestation, desertification, retreating mountain glaciers, plastic pollution and rising sea levels.

The off-road stages will be 6-10 km long with a series of virtual gates to be navigated through by the drivers. The championship will be conducted in a round robin format with 2 groups of 4 teams each. The top 2 teams from each group will progress into the knock-out stage and each of the drivers will go head-to-head against the other to reach the final. The series will take place in different environmental conditions like extreme heat and humidity, high altitudes and sub-zero temperatures.

Extreme E will consist of a ‘floating paddock’ which will carry all the equipment to the locations of the events. RMS Helena - a 7,000 tonne ship, is to be retrofitted with the required equipment and modernised and improved using renewable energy technologies. Previously, this ship used to deliver supplies to the island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean.