I started watching Extreme E in 2021 during its inaugaral race, featuring the likes of Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg, Sebastien Loeb, and Lewis Hamilton. And then I completely forgot about it, despite enjoying what I saw.
Fast forward to today and apparently I missed out on a lot and, also, not very much because despite Extreme E’s lofty ambitions, they didn’t complete all their scheduled races. While the competition ended in in 2024, rather than letting it die out like an electric battery out of juice, it’s being revived via another form of renewable energy: hydrogen.
Enter Extreme H. In January 2024, Extreme E managing director Ali Russell explained that the US race would be the company’s last as they looked forward to Extreme H:
“It’s a different car, different championship, same format. And Extreme E as it is, will stop.”
via Motorsport.com
Except that race didn’t happen and the 2024 season only had 4 races; 2 in Saudi Arabia and 2 in Scotland. As for Extreme H, that will be starting this year and there’s an aim to have it recognised as an FIA World Championship in 2026 if they meet certain criteria.
Will any of this work out? I have no idea. Extreme E went all guns blazing when it started—just look at some of those names again—and then fizzled out after a few years. This next phase, transitioning to hydrogen, feels a little greenwashy alongside the existing sportswashing of the FIA.