The Desert X Prix, Extreme E’s first race weekend, kicks off in AlUla, Saudi Arabia tomorrow, with the teams all set for an epic adventure.
For the uninitiated, Extreme E is a new racing series with electric SUVs competing in extreme environments around the world that have been damaged or affected by climate and environmental issues. The five-race global voyage highlights the impact of climate change and human interference in some of the world’s most remote locations and promotes the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in the quest for a lower-carbon future for the planet.
“Extreme E isn’t just a race for a trophy, it is about something much bigger, the race for our planet is real and there is no finish line in sight,” said Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E. “Through the power of sport, we look forward to highlighting some of the environmental challenges the world is facing and the solutions we can all take.”
To minimize local impact, Extreme E races will not be open to spectators, with fans instead invited to follow the action through live TV broadcast and social media.
A former passenger/cargo ship has been transformed into Extreme E’s operations hub. The St. Helena is used to transport the championship’s freight and infrastructure, including vehicles, to the nearest port, minimizing the series’ footprint. It is also being used to facilitate scientific research through its on-board laboratory.
The Desert X Prix location, AlUla, is one of the oldest cities in the Arabian Peninsula and home to Hegra, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The ancient city, once at the crossroads of The Silk Road and The Incense Route, has only recently been rediscovered by the world.
The deserts of Saudi Arabia were chosen to highlight a number of environmental issues—increasing temperatures, more frequent and longer periods of drought, deforestation, and desertification—instigated by human behavior and carbon-intensive lifestyle.
Over the next few decades, the average water availability in some regions is projected to decrease by 10-30%, meaning 2.4 billion people across the world will be living in areas subject to periods of intense water scarcity, displacing as many as 700 million people.
As part of the commitments set by the Saudi Vision 2030, the Kingdom will seek to safeguard its environment by increasing the efficiency of waste management, establishing comprehensive recycling projects, reducing all types of pollution, and fighting desertification.
Nine teams will compete in an innovative format designed to put driver performance in focus. Extreme E X Prix weekends feature time-trial qualifications on Saturday and short racing action on Sunday.
In a motorsport world-first, teams will field one male and one female driver, promoting gender equality and a level playing field among competitors. The teams will determine which driver goes first to best suit their strategy. Driver order selections are made confidentially, with competitors kept in the dark on choices until the last moment.
On Saturday, Desert X Prix qualifying consists of two rounds of time trials. The team starting order is decided by a draw. All races feature two laps with the incorporated driver “switch” feature.
The Sunday Desert X Prix finals day features a series of three-car races. The teams will be listed 1st to 9th place based on the total combined time of each team’s two qualifying runs. The top three teams go into the semifinal, where the top two finishers claim spots in the final. The middle three teams go through to The Crazy Race, the top finisher progressing to the final. The bottom three teams head to the Shoot Out.
The teams are:
- ABT Cupra XE: Mattias Ekström & Claudia Hürtgen
- Acciona | Sainz XE: Carlos Sainz & Laia Sanz
- Andretti United: Timmy Hansen & Catie Munnings
- Segi TV Chip Ganassi Racing: Kyle LeDuc & Sara Price
- Hispano Suiza XITE Energy: Oliver Bennett & Christine Giampaoli
- JBXE Racing: Jenson Button & Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky
- Rosberg X Racing: Johan Kristoffersson & Molly Taylor
- Veloce Racing: Stéphane Sarrazin & Jamie Chadwick
- X44: Sébastien Loeb & Cristina Gutiérrez.
All the teams use a common racer—an electric SUV called the Odyssey 21 built and engineered by Spark Racing Technology. Global partner CBMM Niobium builds the chassis, Williams Advanced Engineering provides the battery system, and founding partner Continental supplies the tires.
Key stats of the 1780-kg (3920-lb) race SUV include 400-kW and 920-Nm (678-lbft) peak outputs, 385-mm (15.2-in) suspension travel, 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) acceleration in 4.5 s, at gradients of up to 130%, and a 200-km/h (124-mph) top speed.
Williams Advanced Engineering called upon its expertise in supplying batteries for Gen3 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship starting in 2023. Teams are provided with identical 800-V management systems, and the 54-kWh lithium-ion battery packs and with 3600 cells, 40-kWh usable energy, and a lightweight carbon-fiber composite enclosure for a low-mass 400-kg (880-lb) package.
One specification of tire, based on the Continental CrossContact series, has its tread designed to enhance traction and stability on practically any surface. Tire diameter is 37 in, width 12.50 in (318 mm), weight 33.9 kg (74.7 lb), and tread depth 13.9 mm (0.55 in). A digital tire-monitoring system collects, measures, and analyses data such as pressure and temperature in real-time, transmitting that information to the driver via a display in the cockpit.
Each vehicle will be charged using zero-emissions energy via hydrogen fuel-cell technology created in collaboration with AFC Energy. The innovative solution uses water and the sun to generate hydrogen power. Not only will this process emit no greenhouse emissions, but also its only by-product is water, which will be used elsewhere on-site.
Fans can follow the shakedown and qualifications on Extreme E’s official website at www.extreme-e.com; on social channels via @extremeelive on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Twitch; and via GridPlay app. The finals will be shown by global broadcasters, the full list at https://www.extreme-e.com/en/broadcast-information.
In addition, the Extreme E Count Us In Challenge is meant to inspire fans to take practical steps on climate change. They can take one or more of 16 simple steps, which include pledging to walk and cycle more, eat more plant-based foods, use less plastic, and the ultimate series goal of buying an electric vehicle. Every time a pledge is made, it can be assigned to the Extreme E team of a fan’s choice. A scoreboard shows team standings based on fan actions. At the end of the season, the winning team claims the Extreme E Sustainability Award.
Earlier coverage of Extreme E:
