10 minute read
COVER STORY
EXTREME E:
PIONEERING SUSTAINABLE MOTORING ON ALL TERRAINS
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EXTREME E:
PIONEERING SUSTAINABLE MOTORING ON ALL TERRAINS
BY TOM SWALLOW
THE EXTREME E WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP HIGHLIGHTS A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO OFF-ROAD, REMOTE MOTORSPORT, WHILE ADDRESSING MULTIPLE SUSTAINABILITY TARGETS
Motorsport is taking on a new form. Beyond the collaboration of leading organisations and the excitement of high-power output from the smallest of engines, technology and sustainability are incorporated into the fold.
As a result, new businesses are entering new territories and supporting motorsports teams that have become home to worldchanging initiatives. We saw it with the idealisation of Formula E in 2011, and we’ll continue to witness change through the E1 powerboat series.
But the focus today is the racing season that just completed its second global tour: Extreme E.
Following the creation of Formula E, its Chairman Alejandro Agag—also Founder and CEO of Extreme E, and Chairman of the E1 Series—decided it was time to take electrification to even greater heights.
The Extreme E series was conceived in 2019 as an initiative to raise awareness of climate change and how electrified mobility can shape a more sustainable future. The off-road racing championship attracts the adrenaline junkies; some of the most fearless drivers in the world came to showcase the ODYSSEY 21 electric SUVs in some of the most challenging environments on the planet. Sporting peak power of 400 kilowatts (550bhp), the EV is designed for treacherous off-road racing with minimal impact to the environment from an emissions’ standpoint. As the teams gain the attention of the public, turning their focus to climate change, and environmental and social impact, they work as a collective to facilitate change and showcase to the world what could be achieved on a much larger scale.
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EXTREME E ODYSSEY 21
XXXX
550hp (expected)
Targeted 0-62mph in under 4.5 seconds
+124mph
40kWh
The ODYSSEY 21 is the standard electric vehicle for all teams racing in the Extreme E championship. The car is engineered by Spark Racing Technology, a developer of high performance electric cars and modules. Teams in the Extreme E line-up are tasked with finetuning the vehicle for the highest possible performance, while enabling a suitable level of charging for remote operation.
ODYSSEY 21
ODYSSEY 21
CUPRA RACING
XAVIER SERRA, HEAD OF CUPRA RACING
Teams and partners rallied around the motorsport throughout the duration of two race seasons to provide support for the drivers that have taken on both the race and climate challenges it aims to address. This result has influenced a number of sustainable mobility solutions that can be translated into commercial applications for electrification of automobiles, charging infrastructure, and even renewable energy projects. Much like its street racing counterpart, Formula E, the aim of the Extreme E initiative is to develop products and services that its partners can inject into suitable industries. Renewable energy sourcing through offgrid technology can be applied to almost any function, battery innovation confirms the longevity of units that will be leveraged by battery cell and car manufacturers, and fast, reliable charging solutions are in high demand in highways all around the world.
Starting from the ground up, the Extreme E tyre supplier Continental developed a bespoke unit specifically for the ODYSSEY 21 and is also a founding partner of the championship. A special version of its Continental CrossContact production tyre was developed to suit the various environments visited throughout each year.
Aside from this, the company provides a critical service for the motorsport, the ContiConnect system, which allows teams to better manage their tyres during each race. From tyre pressure to temperature, teams receive real-time data via a sensor inside the tyre, which enables great insights both on and off site.
“As part of the ‘one-tyre-fits-all’ approach of Extreme E, the tread pattern has been optimised for top performance on every kind of terrain our planet has to offer, and the tread compound was specifically designed for this tyre,” says Peter Robb, Marketing director UK and Ireland at Continental.
In terms of maintaining the sustainable approach of Extreme E, Continental is “already seeing great success in these efforts”, Robb says. “We’ve continuously increased our efficiency in water and energy consumption by running energy saving programmes for more than a decade.”
ACQUIRING CLIMATE INSIGHTS TO DEVELOP A SUSTAINABLE LEGACY
Each race comes with its own challenges, yet also presents new opportunities for environmental impact. From AlUla in the Saudi Arabian desert to rocky and foliage-filled tracks along the Mediterranean sea, the cars, their drivers and the solutions that support the race—charging, energy storage, and supporting vehicles—must be able to withstand the harshest of environments.
Extreme E acquires the help of environmental experts and scientists to assess the environments in which the series enters. One of the leading scientists drafted into the research and development stage of the motorsport is Carlos Duarte, a researcher of marine ecosystems—and supporting force in the E1 Series—as well as other experts in the natural environment.
The research and development (R&D) stage of each race supports the decision-making of all partners, but also leaves behind a sustainable legacy that changes the way that locals and industries interact with the environment. This is what makes Extreme E so critical in shaping the future of industries: from charging solutions that can provide maximum functionality in all environments to ensuring that energy storage systems are accessible globally and that EVs themselves can adapt to the most challenging environments.
CARLOS DUARTE
ROSBERG X RACING
Applying sustainability achievements to industry
Not just breeding grounds for innovation, Extreme E races are some of the most rigorous test beds the automotive industry has ever seen. With the landscape predominantly in dry, uninhabited areas where infrastructure features the bare minimum, the difficulty partners face when innovating for this motorsport is to create machines and systems that work in similarly inhospitable environments, then to test and share them with industries.
“There are unique challenges in this unique racing series. The best thing about it is that these challenges completely change from one weekend to the other,” says Xavier Serra, Head of CUPRA racing.
“It’s true that these cars can adapt to racing in any type of terrain and conditions, but to do so, the team has to work together with the drivers to find the perfect set-up to each race, with limited testing, so the skills of the drivers and engineers have a bigger role here to make the prognosis for each weekend.”
Serra also explains that, for the automotive industry to successfully adopt e-mobility solutions, companies must locate the right talent and help them understand how engineering as a profession is being driven by technology, meaning professionals must be well-equipped with the skills and knowledge to apply electric powertrains to cars.
“The industry needs to reinvent itself, and continue developing new ways to train young talents, especially through technology,” says Serra. “We need to find resources that can in a certain way substitute on-site action to prepare new generations the best way we
NEOM X MCLAREN
A PARTNERSHIP WITH PURPOSE
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NEOM X NEOM X MCLAREN RACING
NEOM X MCLAREN RACING
On the 27th June, the partnership between NEOM and McLaren Racing entered into a new phase. As the sustainable smart city looks for the right talent and R&D expertise, NEOM formalised its agreement with the racing team to provide critical innovation insight that teams will translate to the OXAGON project—a new, harmonious paradigm for people, industries, and nature to thrive in.
As the team travels the world to spread the sustainability message, McLaren Racing is also supporting further projects aligned with the goals of NEOM—as part of its McLaren Accelerator programme. A clean sheet for both companies to achieve great change.
To read about the NEOM x McLaren Racing partnership, CLICK HERE.
can, so they re spot on when this translates to working in the industry.”
According to the Chief Engineer of Mechanical Development at Williams Advanced Engineering Fred Riser, “Extreme E has pushed the boundaries of the electric vehicle industry far beyond the standard design and ‘comfort zone’.”
The difficulty of each environment presents new gaps for the teams to plug, making the industry more resilient to future changes. Engineers must consider some of the conditions that drivers and their vehicles will experience during each race, such as dust, sand, the vibrations, humidity, heat, and altitude, and how each of these affect battery production.
X44 TEAM INTERVIEW
What goes through your mind as you step into the ODYSSEY 21?
CRISTINA GUTIÉRREZ:
“I love the feeling of getting into the car, it makes the race weekend come to life and you feel the pressure and adrenaline of everything you’ve been working hard towards. I am always a little bit nervous, especially in Finals, but when I step into the car, I will have been working hard beforehand to make sure I am ready, so it is just a case of remembering what I need to do and working with my engineer to execute the race as best as I can.”
SÉBASTIEN LOEB:
“I forget the outside world and focus on the track. It is at that moment that the power is in your hands of how you perform that day—you can’t let any distractions come into your head. For me, that moment is the opportunity to make myself comfortable in the vehicle and just focus on how I will attack, because even before I step in, I have done the preparation to give myself the mindset that will allow me to drive the best I can.”
What is it about Extreme E that made you want to participate?
CRISTINA GUTIÉRREZ:
“One of the main reasons I was so excited to get involved with Extreme E is that there is a balance between both my love of racing and my concern about climate change. I have been racing since I was a kid, so motorsport is something I have loved my whole life, and to be able to combine that with a positive response to help the planet is ideal. When Lewis Hamilton approached me to join the team, I said yes immediately – of course!”
SÉBASTIEN LOEB:
“When I heard about the opportunity to join Extreme E, I was immediately interested to know more. I am always seeking out new challenges – I’ve done rally, rallycross, endurance racing, cross-country and have even driven a Formula 1 car – so why not add this to the list? Then I learned about the other names who were getting involved, like Lewis, Nico [Rosberg], Carlos Sainz, Jutta Kleinschmidt, and my former teammate Timmy Hansen, and it made it even easier to say yes.”
SÉBASTIEN LOEB
CRISTINA GUTIÉRREZ
ALEJANDRO AGAG FOUNDER AND CEO, EXTREME E
ALEJANDRO AGAG WATCH NOW
Williams Advanced Engineering is the main supporting partner for battery development and solutions related to electric propulsion. Riser believes that charging will be a key component of modern mobility, with Extreme E applications to provide new and exciting ways to store EVs outside of cities, making room for the public and eliminating congestion.
This vision is partly supported by the ability of firms to produce reliable battery solutions, as well as by the charging systems that will be put in place to operate remote— and potentially off-grid—charging stations. Adopting sustainable mobility solutions and limiting human activities contributing to climate change are global initiatives with many facets to consider, from the sourcing of energy and the components used in automotive production to the social and environmental implications of how we use mobility.
Extreme E is not just a motorsport; it’s an initiative driving awareness to provoke global change, both environmentally and socially.
