Extreme E is Off-Road Racing with an Electric Twist

New and Promising

As EVs slowly begin to take over our roadways, they're also beginning to make inroads in the world of motorsports. Formula E is already a popular series, but those that crave a bit of off-road excitement can find it in Extreme E. The electric off-road racing series just debuted in April, but is already generating quite a bit of hype around the globe.

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Sparking Interest

Following the series' debut in Saudi Arabia in April - which was won by Rosberg X Racing, owned by former Formula One champion Nico Rosberg - Extreme E has been generating a ton of sponsor interest. "After our win as a team it's been amazing, the amount of interest we received from companies saying 'hey, how can we leverage on this, let's partner up, can we invest,' all of these things have been phenomenal," Rosberg told Reuters.

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Return on Investment

"It shows how it’s been received in the world. A good start to the championship," Rosberg said. "The sponsors are absolutely loving it. Also because the return on investment is interesting. When you look at the money they have to put up to the return that they get out, it’s really strong."

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Sustainable Equality

Extreme E isn't just racing without a cause, of course. Rather, it's mission is to promote sustainability in the world of racing, particularly in parts of the world where environmental damage and global warming are major issues. That includes places like the Amazon rain forest and the Arctic. It also promotes gender equality, requiring that each team have one male and one female driver.

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Spec Racer

Those teams race-spec SUVs in a total of five rounds, which kick off with two qualifying runs on Saturday and multi-vehicle races the following day. The Spark Odyssey 21 electric SUV used in Extreme E is built by Spark Racing Technology, the same company that builds Formula E racers, and is fitted with a battery from Williams Advanced Engineering.

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Big Names

Sporting a niobium-reinforced steel alloy tubular frame, roll cage, and crash structure, the SUVs are weigh in at 3,640 pounds and utilize 540 horsepower to go from 0-60 in 4.5 seconds. In addition to Rosberg, the series has attracted some other big-name talent in the form of seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton and 2009 champ Jenson Button.

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Magical Combination

That magical combination has paid off so far for the very young series, according to Rosberg.  "It's electric mobility, which is a massive topic...plus you've got this purpose of trying to combat climate change by what we are doing, not only by raising awareness but also by kick-starting initiatives. It just resonates with the moment so much. Companies want to associate themselves with purpose-driven sporting events."

Photos: Extreme E

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