LONDON: XE Sports Group has announced it will enter Season 3 of Extreme E, the all-electric off-road series which uses motorsport to promote sustainability and diversity.
The move heralds a landmark occasion for Extreme E as XE Sports Group becomes the first Asian Pacific team headquartered in Australia to compete in the series.
The team officially signed its contract in Monaco on board the St. Helena, the series’ floating centerpiece, which transports the Extreme E cars, freight, and logistics around the world.
Luke Todd, director of the XE Sports Group, said: “Since its inception, Extreme E has demonstrated to be a major drawcard for both extreme racing and climate awareness plus diversity, which aligns perfectly with the XE Sports Group’s focus of raising awareness of global climate and social challenges with the ability to make a real impact at the ground, local level.”
XE Sports Group is the impact sports division of EVDirect.com, the distributors of BYD passenger vehicles within Australia and New Zealand, and their investment and participation in Extreme E will enable them to showcase BYD’s vehicles and raise awareness within Australia and the wider Asia Pacific region of the benefits of electric vehicle technology.
Sporting executive and former Everton and Australia football star Tim Cahill will also be a member of the group from its inception.
Cahill said that he was looking forward to connecting the world of professional football with Extreme E.
“I’m really excited to be a part of this team. The combination of thrilling, competitive racing and leaving a lasting, positive impact makes the sport totally unique. We look to bringing a significant new audience to Extreme E from within the millions of football fans across the world,” he added.
Todd pointed out that XE Sports Group would be introducing its own climate science and legacy program to Extreme E’s existing ones, with the mission to reduce poverty and increase living standards through the adaption of technology such as second-life lithium battery deployment combined with solar capture in remote or impoverished locations.
“Competitively, we are joining Extreme E to race and win. We will be delivering a world-class racing package and eagerly await to line up against the likes of the X44, Rosberg X Racing, and JBXE teams as well as the rest of the top-class field.
“Australians are renowned for overachieving in the sports arena, and we aim for nothing less in Extreme E. We will be racing for the planet and racing to win,” Todd added.
Alejandro Agag, the founder and chief executive officer of Extreme E, said: “We extend a huge, warm welcome to Luke and the XE Group to Extreme E, and we can’t wait to see how the team performs in its racing debut.
“Not only that but it is a great to see the goals of the team so closely reflecting our own in terms of climate and community impact, and we are very excited about the possibilities we have together in these shared purposes.
“The grid is really filling up now and it’s great to have our first Asian Pacific team involved. This championship is growing and the countdown to Season 3 starts now.”
Extreme E aims to minimize environmental impact, while maximizing awareness of it, by racing in locations that have already been damaged or affected by climate change, while at the same time, the series has built-in equality and diversity, with each team fielding one male and one female driver.
In parallel, Extreme E is helping the car industry to develop future-facing technology using racing as a platform for mobility innovation, which motorsport has long been associated with as an accelerator of research and development.
The current Extreme E line-up includes teams run by legendary motorsport names including McLaren, Lewis Hamilton (X44), Nico Rosberg (Rosberg X Racing), Jenson Button (JBXE), and Carlos Sainz (ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team).
Season 3 of Extreme E will get underway in early 2023, with dates and a full racing calendar to be confirmed in the coming months.