Extreme H unveils hydrogen-powered race car, marking a new era in green motorsport

Extreme H, the world’s first hydrogen race series, took a monumental step towards sustainable motorsport with the launch of its new hydrogen-powered car on Thursday. The series, a successor to Extreme E, represents a significant pivot from racing in remote, environmentally impacted locations to a focus on advancing hydrogen technology and raising climate awareness through green innovations.

Extreme E, which started in 2021, sought to promote sustainability and electric vehicles by racing SUVs in areas already affected by environmental damage, employing a 'docu-sport' concept to highlight climate challenges. Now, the series' new iteration, Extreme H, leverages green hydrogen—produced by splitting water through electrolysis using renewable energy—ushering in a new mission.

"The focus before was to showcase what is happening in those remote locations," said Alejandro Agag, the founder, in an interview with Reuters during the launch event in London on board the former mail ship, St Helena—an iconic vessel that served as a floating paddock and marine research platform. "Now the focus is only to hydrogen technology, so we don't have that pressure of going to those remote locations to tell the story; we already did that. Now we can race closer to Europe, closer to the U.S. because those are the places where hydrogen has to be deployed."

The 2025 calendar for Extreme H features a 10-round series beginning in Saudi Arabia in April, with subsequent races in prominent locations such as Britain, Germany, and Italy, culminating in a grand finale in the United States.

Renowned names in motorsport are already associated with the series. Formula One champions Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg, and Lewis Hamilton are among the existing team owners, while seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Jimmie Johnson will also be a competitor.

Extreme E had ventured to estranged locales like Senegal, Greenland, Chile, and Uruguay. However, the future of the St Helena remains uncertain. "It was amazing when we were in Greenland on this ship but very few sponsors could come, very few partners. It’s too far," Agag reflected. "I would love to keep it, we still have to make a decision because it’s very costly. And if we don’t go far away it loses a bit of its reason of being. But it’s a great place to lead the experience of the races."

Despite the shift, Agag emphasized his commitment to continuing Extreme E's legacy programs.

The Pioneer 25 SUV, the new hydrogen-powered vehicle, features a 75kw hydrogen fuel cell as its principal energy source. The car has demonstrated impressive capabilities, accelerating from 0-100kph in 4.5 seconds and handling gradients of up to 130%.

Sponsorship for this groundbreaking series includes Red Bull, with the Saudi investment fund PIF serving as the principal partner. "We are going to be the first ones really racing on hydrogen for, I think, quite some time," Agag proudly announced. "We have a car that races, that has been tested for 1,500km, and we are ready to go. There will be an H championship next year."

With the unveiling of its hydrogen-powered race car, Extreme H sets the stage for a new era in motorsport, dedicated to sustainability and the promotion of hydrogen technology.

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