The inaugural Extreme E off-road season is heading for the chequered flag on Army training ground in the South West of England, with its goal to promote electric vehicles and clean technology solutions whilst striving for a lower carbon future for the planet.
“People are really pushing the boundaries with what they can do with electric motors, they are after all very simple. Basically, it’s just one moving part so in terms of reliability it’s great, especially for the military. We’re talking about electrification which is key and it’s not just talking about doing it, things are now actually being put into action” Jenson Button MBE
The Army has jumped at the chance to support this ground-breaking, all electric event which will be hosted at Bovington Training Area and will help highlight the shared focus, of both Army and Extreme E, on sustainability and more specifically electrification.
Some of the biggest names in motorsport are involved with Extreme E. Teams owned by Sir Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg are represented as well as former Formula One World Champion Jenson Button MBE, who both owns and drives with his JBXE team:
“People are really pushing the boundaries with what they can do with electric motors, they are after all very simple. Basically, it’s just one moving part so in terms of reliability it’s great, especially for the military. We’re talking about electrification which is key and it’s not just talking about doing it, things are now actually being put into action”
One of the main aims of the event is to highlight climate change issues both here and around the globe and take up the fight against environmental damage it causes.
The British Army is committed to both mitigating its environmental impact and exploring the use of electric vehicles as power solutions on the battlefield.
“With Extreme E’s support, we will continue to highlight the environmental importance of the area and demonstrate the ongoing work undertaken by the British Army with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) to ensure its longevity as both beautiful countryside and an effective training area. Combined with the Army’s investment in, and development of sustainable vehicles, this will allow us to continue to maintain our world-renowned operational edge.” Major General Simon Hutchings OBE, Director of Joint Support, Strategic Command
Major General Simon Hutchings OBE, Director of Joint Support, Strategic Command said:
“With Extreme E’s support, we will continue to highlight the environmental importance of the area and demonstrate the ongoing work undertaken by the British Army with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) to ensure its longevity as both beautiful countryside and an effective training area. Combined with the Army’s investment in, and development of sustainable vehicles, this will allow us to continue to maintain our world-renowned operational edge.”
Originally devised in 2018 Extreme E event racers compete over two days, on an off-road course around five miles in length. Each race takes place over a two-lap run with a driver swap required at the end of the first with the contest consisting of qualifying, semi-final, and final sprints.
And as Jenson Button explains, this form of motorsport is tackling diversity head on too:
“Extreme E is special because you have to have a girl and a boy in the team. At the start of the year the guys were quicker than the girls because they’ve got more experience but over time the girls have come to their pace because of their dedication. They are putting in so much work and time to develop. Over the last couple of races, they’ve been as quick as the guys and sometimes quicker.”
The Army aims to decrease emissions and scale-up the transition to renewables, thus contributing to the UK’s aim to be net zero by 2050. These efforts have already started with the Army piloting electric armoured vehicles and soldiers benefiting from new carbon efficient accommodation, delivered as part of the £45-million Net Carbon Accommodation Programme (NetCAP)
The programme is being part-funded using money from a £200-million investment to improve armed forces accommodation, which was announced by the Defence Secretary last summer.
The MOD is investing more than £35 million of this funding, in addition to funding from the British Army, into its nationwide programme, which aims to improve facilities for troops when they are training away from their permanent barracks.
38 new carbon efficient accommodation blocks, providing more than 1,700 bed spaces, will be installed across the UK Defence Training Estate by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), working with industry partners. The remainder of the £200-million investment is being spent on Service Family Accommodation and training accommodation and improvements to Single Living Accommodation in Army barracks, RAF bases and Naval establishments.