- “Extreme E and Extreme H will be similar and compatible”
As part of the third edition of the Green Racing Virtual Summit #3 held on May 5, James Taylor, Chief Championship Officer of Extreme E, had a pleasant conversation with Andrew Pontius, a member of the advisory board of Evolectric, about the new project of the competition called Extreme H.
Extreme H will be a 100% electric off-road vehicle racing category, similar to Extreme E in nearly every physical and technical aspect except for the fuel to be used as propulsion: hydrogen. Ahead of the arrival of the new extreme racing division, Taylor offered details on what its coming will hold.
“In 2024 we will launch Extreme H, which we believe will be the first global racing championship to use hydrogen, where it will be raced over the same weekends as Extreme E at the same venues. We believe we have a fantastic product coupled with a deep platform in Extreme E, so now we want to move forward to the next stage in Extreme H.”
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The Hydrogen Power
Corroborating Taylor’s explanation, Andrew Pontius highlighted the growth of the category that promotes environmental awareness. However, from the traditional motorsports fan side, he suggested that the organization had the possibility of burning hydrogen as a strategy to maintain the vehicle’s surround sound, but in a sustainable way, given that Extreme E has a unit of this fuel to recharge the ODYSSEY 21’s electric battery.
“That’s an excellent question, Andrew, but for us that wasn’t a consideration, we simply can’t. Obviously, the fuel cell has the benefit of having the powertrain for electric vehicles, being useful in both technologies. It will allow us to use 95% of the car we have in Extreme E in Extreme H.”
The vehicle development can be transferred similarly from one category to the other, with the only particularity of the hydrogen introduction, where the use of electric batteries will be maintained as part of the exposure of this fuel like one of the options that can be used in the present and facing the future.
In the face of that possibility, James highlighted the space that hydrogen has gained on the automotive market, serving as an example of work in the development of this new way of boosting mobility and transportation. “Absolutely, we believe hydrogen and fuel cells have their place here, look at what Toyota, Hyundai and BMW have done, for example.”
Unique Details for Extreme H
“Extreme E and Extreme H will be similar and compatible. However, we are looking for unique elements to differentiate the hydrogen series to showcase the key features of that technology,” Taylor emphasized. “It could be more laps for Extreme H or even having refueling during races, because with hydrogen and fuel cells they have the potential to refuel quickly.”
Written by | Ronald Ortega
