Extreme E had its inaugural season in 2021 with the goal of racing all-electric SUVs in some of the most remote corners of the planet to raise awareness about how climate change can impact different ecosystems. Since then, they have been nominated for and won green awards, such as the Environmental Sustainability Award by the Sport Industry Awards in 2022, inspiring thousands of fans worldwide. Formula 1 Champions Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, and Jenson Button are all team owners in the series. But what is unique about Extreme E and why do we love it so much?
Image: us.motorsport.com, 2022.
What Is Extreme E?
Extreme E is an all-electric off-road racing series. Founded by the same team behind Formula E, the series promotes electrification, environment and equality. The races, known as X Prix, take place in five remote areas of the planet that have already been damaged or affected by climate issues. In their first season in 2021, Extreme E’s calendar included extreme ecosystems in the Arctic, deserts and coastal areas. Teams compete in the ODYSSEY 21, a one-design fleet, a fully electric SUV capable of withstanding extreme rally conditions. According to the series, the car can fire the 1780-kilogram e-SUV from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds.
What Is Different About Extreme E?
So what is different about Extreme E? After all, Formula E is an all-electric racing series that has been around for many years, which is also trying to minimize its environmental impact and raise awareness about climate change. Extreme E isn’t only about promoting sustainability but also about promoting equality. They are the first gender-equal motorsport series in the world. What does that mean? That means that while other racing series do not technically prevent women from racing, Extreme E is the only one to guarantee every team has two driver seats, one for a male and one for a female.
Watch Genesys Andretti United Extreme E’s driver, Catie Munnings, sharing her thoughts on being a professional race driver at Extreme E.
Another thing we love is Extreme E's legacy initiative. Because the series is concerned with leaving a positive legacy behind in each race destination, it partnered with the United Nations by joining the United Nations Sports for Climate Action Framework. The framework calls on sporting organizations to acknowledge their contribution to climate change and take responsibility for striving toward climate neutrality for a safer planet. In 2020, Extreme E announced they would plant one million mangrove trees in Senegal, one of the series' race locations. Mangrove trees are essential in the climate change fight because they can absorb up to ten times more carbon dioxide from the environment than land trees. This legacy that Extreme E leaves behind benefits local communities and creates a positive global impact.
What Can We Learn From Extreme E?
As a motorsports educational platform that believes in a more just an equal and sustainable world, Extreme E represents everything we want to see on the racing track. They bring the entertainment we love in sports but also show a genuine concern for the planet and act on that. They have actions to reduce, measure and offset their climate impact while working with local communities to leave a good legacy. In addition, they create equality by developing paths for women to race in the series as equal drivers. All sports could benefit from looking into Extreme E's fantastic work.
Image: Charly Lopez, Race winners, Team X44 on the podium, us.motorsport.com, 2022.
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