Extreme-E

[Andres125sx]

New series with cars similar to Dakar, but 100% electric, and races obviously much shorter, sprint alike

The cars:




Charging the cars with carbon free energy:


Only 5 X-Prix in first season, at places where climate change impact is obvious and any other traditional series would never be able to race, trying to add focus to the problem


Teams and drivers, a lot of remarkable names here!:


X-Prix format:

[Andres125sx]

1. Desert X-Prix

Qualifying highlights


Semi-finals and final, it´s the video of the 2h live broadcast, but each race is just 12 minuts so you can skip more than a half easily, worth watching

[Andres125sx]

2. Ocean X-Prix



Race day 2 broadcast video including Shootout race for 7th-9th places, semi-finals and Final:

[El Scorchio]

The qualifying so far has been much more exciting than the races. The first race was an absolute damp squib as the sand made it impossible to even follow closely let alone overtake, so all the races were decided by the first corner.

Second race really wasn't much better. The LH car tried to overtake for the lead IIRC but was forced offline, lost so much speed and so finished last as a result. So why bother trying?

I love the idea of the series, but they really need to try and think of a way of making the races less of a procession. Unless a driver makes a mistake or there's an incident, the order at the first corner seems to be the order in which the races finish.

[Andres125sx]

I can partially agree, with the sand visibility was almost zero for the chasing cars so overtaking was very difficult, but not as much as you say. There was several overtakes in Ocean X-Prix with some wheel to wheel battles wich were very interesting and exciting


Anycase it´s just two X-Prix of a completely new format never seen before, huge margin for improvement

[El Scorchio]

I can partially agree, with the sand visibility was almost zero for the chasing cars so overtaking was very difficult, but not as much as you say. There was several overtakes in Ocean X-Prix with some wheel to wheel battles wich were very interesting and exciting


Anycase it´s just two X-Prix of a completely new format never seen before, huge margin for improvement

Totally agree! I think they will learn about what makes a good/optimal off road circuit largely by trial and error as it goes along. I've enjoyed on the whole watching the two rounds so far.

[PhillipM]

Anycase it´s just two X-Prix of a completely new format never seen before, huge margin for improvement

It really isn't, Tout Terrain and Safaris have been doing this stuff for decades, the Extreme-E guys even tested on our tracks at Sweetlamb, if they'd asked a single person out of thousands over the years they would have told them visibility is horrendous as soon as you get close to another car in dust or mud.

[basti313]

Anycase it´s just two X-Prix of a completely new format never seen before, huge margin for improvement

It really isn't, Tout Terrain and Safaris have been doing this stuff for decades, the Extreme-E guys even tested on our tracks at Sweetlamb, if they'd asked a single person out of thousands over the years they would have told them visibility is horrendous as soon as you get close to another car in dust or mud.

+1 I think the visibility issues were obvious.

I was really looking forward to this new series as I also like FormulaE. Especially as you can watch it locally in many countries where F1 is difficult or expensive.

Now they run it where no one can watch it...with strange ecological backgrounds (Saudi, seriously???)...and with a format that neither fits the ground, the fans or the competition.

[RZS10]

I haven't heard about this series at all and it popped up here so i watched some of the videos ... and i gotta say, the irony of it being called "Extreme E" and a car shutting down because a bump was a bit too ... extreme (?) ... is just *mwoah* chef's kiss.

[Andres125sx]

with strange ecological backgrounds (Saudi, seriously???).

Where did you read they are ecological backgrounds? Because they fooled you It´s excatly the opposite, they´re sensible backgrounds to get focus on the problem. Desertification, sea garbaje, arctic meltdown and jungle deforestation to be more precise

In Ocean X-Prix for example they constantly showed all that garbaje seas bring to the beach. Not saying that´s useful for something or I like it, just exposing Extreme-E idea

[Andres125sx]

I haven't heard about this series at all and it popped up here so i watched some of the videos ... and i gotta say, the irony of it being called "Extreme E" and a car shutting down because a bump was a bit too ... extreme (?) ... is just *mwoah* chef's kiss.

Considering they´re completely new cars, I think they worked very good. There are other companies (Pirelli, Audi, Ferrari...) wich, even with loads of experience in his products, they fail miserably.

That´s the reason I never purchase any new model of anything

[basti313]

with strange ecological backgrounds (Saudi, seriously???).

Where did you read they are ecological backgrounds? Because they fooled you It´s excatly the opposite, they´re sensible backgrounds to get focus on the problem. Desertification, sea garbaje, arctic meltdown and jungle deforestation to be more precise

In Ocean X-Prix for example they constantly showed all that garbaje seas bring to the beach. Not saying that´s useful for something or I like it, just exposing Extreme-E idea

They bring about 200 people (that honestly not travel on the St Helena) to a super remote area that never really profits of this. If we talk about the arctic surrounding or rain forest every cm there is sensitive.
To run there they have to charge the cars and run their shiny tents on Diesel generators...

With flying 200 people on small planes into the rain forest I fear the CO2 footprint is not far away from the Silverstone GP this weekend...

Yes, I also like bringing the awareness. But I feel like this could have been done in a similar format with a 5 person film team, maybe some drivers...then race at a location with at least electric energy grids and an international airport not far away.

[Andres125sx]

To run there they have to charge the cars and run their shiny tents on Diesel generators...

Nope

With flying 200 people on small planes into the rain forest I fear the CO2 footprint is not far away from the Silverstone GP this weekend...

You can´t be serious...

Yes, I also like bringing the awareness. But I feel like this could have been done in a similar format with a 5 person film team, maybe some drivers...then race at a location with at least electric energy grids and an international airport not far away.

Probably you´re right on this. But then it would be a small series with marginal impact globally. I think their approach going a bit bigger and signing in very big names (Hamilton, Rosberg, Button, Sainz, Loeb, Newey...) is much better to attract audience, wich is the only way to cause a global impact

[RZS10]

I haven't heard about this series at all and it popped up here so i watched some of the videos ... and i gotta say, the irony of it being called "Extreme E" and a car shutting down because a bump was a bit too ... extreme (?) ... is just *mwoah* chef's kiss.

Considering they´re completely new cars, I think they worked very good. There are other companies (Pirelli, Audi, Ferrari...) wich, even with loads of experience in his products, they fail miserably.

That´s the reason I never purchase any new model of anything

Yea probably early teething issues, still funny tho.

And yea, best to wait for at least the first revision for tech.