It’s still a long way off from the action starting, but the Extreme E off-road electric SUV racing series has signed world rally heavyweight Sebastien Ogier as its ambassador.
Ogier has thrown his expertise behind the series, which will see teams racing across five challenging environments — the Himalayas, Arctic, Amazon rainforest, Sahara Desert and an Indian Ocean island — and is set to get under way in 2021.
Ogier will advise and provide support on everything from the sporting and technical regulations, to potential event locations and the design evolution of the Extreme E-SUV during its testing and development phase. He will also get behind the wheel of the Odessy 21, which will form the base car for all teams, as it is fine-tuned ahead of delivery to teams in March next year.
The Extreme E locations have been chosen as they have suffered at the hands of climate change or human interference and the series aims to promote the adoption of electric vehicles to help preserve the environment and protect the planet.
‘‘I am sure it can be a powerful tool in driving change and behaviours — and that notion is something very close to my heart,’’ Ogier said.
He saw the Extreme E car for the first time at the Goodwood Festival of Speed recently. Its 400kW drivetrain is able to propel the 1650kg all-terrain, volt-fed racer from 0 to 100kmh in 4.5 seconds and up gradients of up to 130%.
‘‘The car is something special and it will be a privilege from a driver’s point of view to work on its development from such an early stage,’’ Ogier said.
- by Catherine Pattison
Photo: Supplied
