Although the system can’t yet handle the entire paddock’s energy requirements, that’s a medium-term goal.
#The extreme race spain generator
The other major environmental pillar for the series is the 40kW fuel-cell generator developed by AFC Energy, which uses hydrogen (produced from water using solar energy) to generate the power that keeps the Extreme E grid charged up between sessions. The ex-Royal Mail ship St Helena was acquired ahead of the series’ first season, then extensively refitted to make it as ‘green’ as possible. While Agag claims countries are lining up to request a visit from Extreme E, the series isn’t about to jump to an F1-like calendar of 20 or more rounds – not least due to the ironic reality that one of its most important means of reducing emissions is a fossil-fuelled cargo vessel, which takes its time getting from A to B. “In Sardinia, the hills around the course would allow for thousands of spectators later this year we’re in Punta del Este, Uruguay, where there’s huge passion for motorsport – we could have thousands of people attending there, too.”
“We had a lot of guests and sponsors due to come to Dorset, but they had to cancel because of Omicron,” he says. Relaxing in the tented paddock on a chilly afternoon after a rainstorm, Agag admits the enforced changes of venue at the end of 2021 prompted a rethink of some aspects of the series, which he originally intended to take place exclusively in far-flung, remote locations, out of reach of fan and VIP attendance.