LONDON: Extreme E, the first ever electric sport utility vehicle off-road racing series, has confirmed that its Season 1 finale, the Jurassic X Prix, will take place at Bovington, in the English south coast county of Dorset, from Dec. 18 to 19.
The series launched in April with the Desert X Prix at AlUla. The Ocean X Prix in Dakar, Senegal took place on May 29 and 30, and that was followed by the Arctic X Prix in Greenland on Aug. 28 to 29. The next race, the Island X Prix, will be contested in Sardinia on Oct. 23 and 24.
Alejandro Agag, Extreme E founder and chief executive officer, said. “I’m very excited by this race location – our first event on UK soil.
“This move is a poignant shift in our mission to race in remote, far-away places to highlight the effects of climate change, as more increasingly, the issues we talk about are literally happening in our backyards. So, it felt like the right time to bring the spotlight home and help the (British) Army reduce its own carbon footprint.
“The world needs to move forward when it comes to the combustion engine and many other practices, and what better way to symbolize that than with a Jurassic-themed X Prix?
“Unless we push forward with climate and sustainability action, certain species risk becoming extinct, and that is something we simply cannot ignore any longer.”
Bovington is a well-known British Army military base and sits just off the Jurassic coastline. Extreme E is working closely with the British Ministry of Defense and Army which has recently revealed its climate change and sustainability strategy.
The strategy combines the mitigation of environmental impact while maintaining military output and it aims to do this by reducing emissions and scaling up the transition to renewables, thus contributing to the UK’s aim to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Efforts have started already with the Army piloting electric armored vehicles and carbon-efficient accommodation.
The course is designed to include natural obstacles putting the all-electric ODYSSEY 21 through its paces to crown the eventual winning combination of car, team, and driver. Each team fields both a male and female driver who will complete a lap each with a driver switch built into the format.
Former Formula 1 champion Jenson Button, the JBXE team principal, said: “It is brilliant news that Extreme E’s season finale will be held in the UK. I’ve been lucky enough to race on UK soil a number of times throughout my career and those memories will always be incredibly special to me.
“Heading off-road at Bovington will be a totally different experience but equally as special as I’ll be the one watching and supporting Kevin (Hansen) and Mikaela (Ahlin-Kottulinsky) and the rest of the JBXE team as we push for a strong finish to the season.
“After back-to-back podiums, if we can carry that form into Sardinia and put ourselves in the mix for the final race then we could be in store for an amazing finish,” he added.
Meanwhile, Catie Munnings, who partners Timmy Hansen at Andretti United Extreme E, said: “I’m really looking forward to having our final round of Extreme E here in the UK. The racecourse will only be a three-hour drive from my home in Kent, so it’ll be nice to be able to race on home soil after what’s been a whirlwind of a year.
“With the United Autosports side of the business based in the UK, it’s also great to be able to have what will effectively be like a home race for the team too, and hopefully Timmy and I can do the team proud.
“The weather in December could be very wet and who knows, maybe there’s a chance of some snow too. It will certainly be very muddy and slippery, but I grew up driving quad bikes and thrashing around in old vehicles at my family home, including learning to drive in muddy fields in the UK, so these sorts of conditions will suit me well,” she added.