Extreme E announces QEV entry
4 March, London: QEV Technologies, the electric mobility and motorsport R&D specialist, is set to compete in the inaugural season of Extreme E, becoming the fifth team to join the pioneering off-road motorsport championship.
The Spanish firm designs and manufactures electric drivetrains for various projects in motorsport, as well as electric hypercars and bus platforms. QEV Technologies is involved in competition in ABB FIA Formula E, and has garnered a strong pedigree in motor racing. Its work in the series encompasses the engineering management, operations and on-track activities of Mahindra Racing, and, currently, NIO 333 Formula E Team. The outfit secured the Formula E Drivers’ title in Season 1, supporting TEAM CHINA’s campaign, with Nelson Piquet Jr. taking the honours.
QEV is in negotiations with Spanish Formula 1 hero Pedro de la Rosa to be its Team Principal for the project, bringing with him 15 years of top-tier experience via spells at a number of leading teams including Jaguar, McLaren and latterly Ferrari in a development and testing role.
The Spaniard’s transition to the pit-wall came with a move to Formula E in 2015 as a Sporting and Technical Director, and his expertise will be put to good use by QEV as it enters virgin territory with its venture into Extreme E with the ODYSSEY 21 electric SUV in January 2021.
Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E, said: “QEV knows exactly what it takes to compete at the top in electric motor racing championships, and that experience will serve it well as it makes the move into Extreme E”.
“The series is something completely new and unique, with an unprecedented challenge – the scope is huge. There will be countless possibilities for innovatative solutions and ingenuity, and we can see with QEV, ABT, HWA, Venturi and Veloce Racing announced as entrants to-date that there’s already an abundance of talent ready to exploit those opportunities on the way to victory – it’s going to be fierce.”
QEV will be a part of Extreme E’s five-race odyssey to some of the most remarkable, remote and severely damaged locations on the planet: Kangerlussuaq in Greenland, the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil, Al-‘Ula in Saudi Arabia, the Nepalese Himalayas and Lac Rose near Dakar, Senegal. The goal: highlighting the impact of climate change and human influences while raising awareness, driving sustainability and inspiring action.
QEV is a leader electric mobility and R&D in the space, with a drive to win at the very apex of motorsport. The knowledge QEV has gained from the motor racing sector has enabled it to become a technology partner for several car manufacturers that are developing fully electric vehicles, including Spanish hypercar brand Hispano Suiza. The company sees Extreme E as the ideal testbed for its consumer-oriented projects via the championship’s promise of world-class competition.
Miguel Valldecabres, CEO of QEV Technologies, said: “We are very excited about this championship. Through this incredible challenge, we are sure we will be able to innovate and create technology that will once again be applied from race to road. QEV Tech has a track-record of success across a huge variety of racing events. We have a winning team in every way! The path is really ambitious, and we are looking forward to kick-off.”
Extreme E events will be staged over two days of intense head-to-head knockout racing. Track designers, utilising the help of independent experts, will carefully select course options to provide the most challenging, exciting action whilst crucially generating no negative impact from either environmental or social perspectives.
Teams will each take delivery of their ODYSSEY 21 E-SUVs in September this year, with a group test of the vehicles to take place at the end of the same month. The car has already seen action at the 2020 Dakar Rally in the hands of Ken Block this year, and further testing is to take place with a Drivers’ Programme Test Day in mid-March.
Further announcements on entries and series partners will be made in the coming weeks as the championship builds towards ‘lights-out’ in less than a year’s time.
Captions: Below (L-R): QEV Technologies makes the jump into Extreme E – how the ODYSSEY 21 may look in the outfit’s colours, Miguel Valldecabres, CEO of QEV Technologies
About Extreme E:
Extreme E is a radical new racing series, which will see electric SUVs competing in extreme environments around the world which have already been damaged or affected by climate and environmental issues. The five-race global voyage highlights the impact of climate change and human interference in some of the world’s most remote locations and promotes the adoption of electric vehicles to help preserve the environment and protect the planet.
Provisional Extreme E Season 1 (2021) calendar:
23-24 January: Lac Rose, Dakar, Senegal
5-6 March: Al-‘Ula, Saudi Arabia
14-15 May: Kali Gandaki Valley, Mustang District, Nepal
28-29 August: Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
30-31 October: Santarém, Pará, Brazil
Another unique feature of Extreme E is its floating garage, the RMS St. Helena. The former Royal Mail cargo-passenger vessel is undergoing a modernisation and refit in order to lower its emissions. It will be used to transport the championship’s freight and infrastructure, including vehicles, to the nearest port, minimising Extreme E’s footprint as well as being used to facilitate scientific research through an on-board laboratory.
In addition to live race action, Extreme E has joined forces with Academy Award winning filmmaker Fisher Stevens, producer of The Cove and Before The Flood, who will direct a Netflix style documentary series to highlight the specific climate threats facing each ecosystem.
Extreme E is operated in association with Formula E – the organiser of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship. Extreme E is committed to sustainability and minimising environmental impact – as well as playing its part in re-building and restoring areas already impacted by climate change.
The championship made the Official Shortlist for the Sport Industry Awards 2020 in the Cutting Edge Sport Category, acknowledging the championship’s incredible progress in its first year.
About QEV Technologies:
QEV Technologies is a global electro mobility and automotive technology company. Based in Barcelona, Spain, the company has three business segments: electric racing; full vehicle or powertrain development; and sophisticated ‘off-the-shelf’ kits and platforms to electrify new minibuses, or convert existing ones to electric.
With its cutting-edge technologies ranging from electric motors and battery systems, to electric control units and vehicle dynamics, the company boasts a unique offering in today’s electric vehicle market. In addition to its e-kits and platforms, which are creating a new generation of public mobility in developing countries, QEV’s experts provide global OEM’s with a complete suite of automobile production services. These include consultancy, design, engineering, manufacturing, validation, and homologation for high-performance electric vehicles.
About Continental:
Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and networked mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transport. In 2018, Continental generated preliminary sales of approximately €44.4 billion and currently employs some 244,000 people in 60 countries and markets.
The Tyre division has 24 production and development locations worldwide. As one of the leading tyre manufacturers with around 54,000 employees, the division posted sales of €11.3 billion in 2017. Continental ranks among the technology leaders in tyre production and offers a broad product range for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and two-wheelers. Through continuous investment in R&D, Continental makes a major contribution to safe, cost-effective and ecologically efficient mobility. The Tyre division’s portfolio includes services for the tyre trade and for fleet applications, as well as digital management systems for commercial vehicle tyres.
About CBMM:
CBMM is the world leading supplier of niobium products and technology. Headquartered in Brazil, with offices and subsidiaries in China, Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland and the United States, CBMM offers technical innovation to customers around the globe through a team of over 2,000 highly trained, dedicated professionals providing cutting-edge niobium products and technology to over 300 customers in 50 countries.
About LuisaViaRoma:
Established in 1929, LuisaViaRoma has been an online luxury destination since 1999. In 2019, LuisaViaRoma celebrated the company’s 90th anniversary, as well as the 20th anniversary of its online business.
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