Motorsport had been experiencing a greener facelift in the past decade. While sustainability and race cars seem like an unlikely pairing, championships like the Extreme E series are helping push environmentalism in the world of auto racing.
Extreme E, just like the famous Formula 1 (F1) series, is an FIA-sanctioned racing competition. A key difference between these two races is that F1 cars are hybrid racers with internal combustion engines powered by fossil fuels while Extreme E vehicles are spec silhouette all-electric SUVs called the Spark Odyssey 21.
Also called the “electric odyssey”, Extreme E began in 2018 as a project led by Formula E (another all-electric street race founded in 2014) founder Alejandro Agag and former driver Gil de Ferran.
And whereas F1 is an urban competition, Extreme E is an off-road competition featuring some of the most breath-taking locations around the world. Locations are chosen to help raise awareness on certain aspects of climate change.
For example in the 2021 season, Neom, Saudi Arabia was chosen to highlight causes of desertification, the loss of biological diversity, and the importance of community resilience. Meanwhile, Sardinia was selected to highlight the effects of rising temperatures, heatwaves and wildfire.
Central to the series is its Legacy Programme that provides social and environmental support for those locations.
Aussie Team to Enter the Race
For Season 3 coming in 2023, XE Sports Group, an Australian team, will be joining as the first entrant from the Asia Pacific region.
“Since its inception, Extreme E has demonstrated to be a major drawcard for both extreme racing and climate awareness plus diversity, which aligns perfectly with the XE Sports Group’s focus of raising awareness of global climate and social challenges with the ability to make a real impact at the ground, local level,” said Luke Todd, Director of the XE Sports Group.
International footballer Tim Cahill will also be at the helm of the Aussie team saying “I’m really excited to be a part of this team. The combination of thrilling, competitive racing and leaving a lasting, positive impact makes the sport totally unique. We look to bringing a significant new audience to Extreme E from within the millions of football fans across the world.”
Currently, there re 10 teams in the Extreme E lineup. It features legendary motorsport names including McLaren, Lewis Hamilton (X44), Nico Rosberg (Rosberg X Racing) Jenson Button (JBXE), and Carlos Sainz (ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team).
Dates and a full racing calendar to be confirmed in the coming months for the 2023 season.
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