It has been announced that Venturi Automobiles will be the first team to commit to the Extreme E electric Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) racing series which commences in January 2021.
Venturi won a race in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship earlier this year at the 2019 Hong Kong ePrix, and have been one of the championship’s staple teams since its establishment in 2014.
The Monegasque-based team have carried out extreme weather testing, and designed the first electric vehicle to work in extreme Arctic environments which will see them well-placed for the new championship when the series begins.
Also, Venturi have the greatest unassisted distance for an electric vehicle of 14,900 km (from Shanghai to Paris and on to Monaco), as well as the electric land speed record at Bonneville Salt Flats, where the VBB-3 hit 342 mph.
As one of the teams in the Extreme E series, Venturi will be able to test and develop its own powertrain and bodywork as they vie for supremacy in the all-new off-road electric championship.
Gildo Pastor, President of Venturi Automobiles was delighted to make the announcement and afterwards said: “I’m a true adventure seeker and as a consequence I’ve always had a passion for experiencing some of the most remote regions of the world.
“By the end of the year, we’re also going to send the VENTURI Antarctica, the first electric polar exploration vehicle, to the South Pole.
“The partnership with Extreme E represents a new opportunity to show the capacity of electric vehicles in the most extreme environments. We’re beyond proud to join this innovative and entertaining concept.”
With the series still in its early stages, prototype testing is scheduled to get underway in July this year, with the delivery of 12 Spark Racing Technology cars to follow in March 2020.
Group testing will then commence in Summer next year , before the teams get ready to board HMS St. Helena for the voyage across the globe ahead of the start of the inaugural season of the championship by January 2021.
Alejandro Agag, operating partner of Extreme E as well as Founder and CEO of Formula E said after the announcement, “Gildo (Pastor) and VENTURI showed the same belief and commitment in a then-new project when Formula E launched, joining the inaugural grid back in 2014.
“The exciting race format and head-to-head stages in Extreme E are appealing for racing enthusiasts like VENTURI – as well as the message of sustainability and electric mobility. With Extreme E taking place across five of the most unique and remote locations on the planet, the synergies with VENTURI’s drive for innovation and desire to push the envelope are clear to see.”