Extreme E is planning to launch an off-road hydrogen-powered championship in 2024, the company announced. Named Extreme H, it will sit alongside Extreme E, its existing electric racing series, and will be a world-first for motorsport.
“Extreme E was designed to be a testbed for innovation and solutions for mobility. It has become increasingly clear to us that creating a hydrogen racing series is a natural evolution of our mission to showcase the possibilities of new technologies in the race to fight climate issues,” said series representatives. “Together with the current Extreme E Teams we will decide in the coming months the best way to integrate the Hydrogen powered cars into the racing weekend. Two separate categories, full transition to Hydrogen or joint racing are all options on the table.”
The Extreme H car will retain the same powertrain and chassis used in Extreme E. The key differentiating factor in Extreme H will be that a hydrogen fuel cell will replace the battery as the principal energy source.
Green hydrogen sources will be used to power the Extreme H fuel cells, created using a combination of solar and water. This technology is already being used behind the scenes in Extreme E, where it provides the energy source to the vehicle’s batteries.
Alejandro added: “It is fitting to launch the concept of Extreme H here in NEOM, a place with huge ambition around clean energy solutions, and the perfect example of a location which can and will become home to large-scale green hydrogen production and distribution.”
