Extreme E and EY publish Season 3 Sustainability Report, recording 8.2 per cent carbon footprint reduction as female-male performance gap continues to narrow

• Season 3 Sustainability Report reveals 8.2 per cent fall in overall carbon footprint
• Average female-male performance gap closed by 51 per cent since Season 1: now just 1.5 seconds
• EY continues as Official Sustainability Partner for second consecutive season

Continuing to race the series’ ODYSSEY 21 off-road electric vehicles and leveraging solar and green hydrogen energy, the report reveals that the racing series maintained its carbon-neutral status and reduced its overall carbon footprint by 8.2 per cent. 

EY teams calculated that 8,301 tCO2-e was emitted during Season 3 – down from 9,045 tCO2-e across Season 2 – despite travelling further afield and holding double-header races at each X Prix.

This achievement is supported by Extreme E’s motorsport industry-leading race site infrastructure, which is powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, including the use of green hydrogen in remote locations produced by ENOWA’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell System. The series also employed innovative waste management procedures, engaged regional suppliers, and sourced food and drink locally for each X Prix race event.

The report also reveals that the Season 3 female-male performance gap has closed by an average of 51 per cent since Season 1, with the average gap now just 1.5 seconds, proving that the rate of progression for female drivers is advanced by gaining equal access to track time and performance development. 

Accelerating gender equality remains a key objective for Extreme E, with each racing team represented by one female and one male driver and nearly 50 per cent female representation across the entire workforce. This is further reflected in the series’ audience make-up, with the split between male and female viewers at 66 per cent to 34 per cent, compared with 71 per cent to 29 per cent last season.

Dr. Matthew Bell, EY Global Climate Change and Sustainability Services Leader, said: “Extreme E remains a powerful example of how a business can be successfully reimagined as a more sustainable model. Reflecting on the Season 3 report, I am thrilled that EY will continue as Extreme E’s Official Sustainability Partner. EY teams’ knowledge, capabilities and insight around climate change and sustainability, linked with Extreme E’s passion to constantly create lasting impact, means that this collaboration is underpinned by a strong sense of shared purpose.

“Ultimately, the report shows that the racing series is going from strength to strength, with its carbon footprint falling. This serves the broader ambition of promoting awareness around the planet’s climate crisis and leaving a more sustainable future for tomorrow’s generation.”

Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E, said: “It is incredible that we have now completed three seasons of Extreme E. The pace of the journey we have been on since launching has been extraordinary and we are creating an exciting motorsport championship which will leave a long-lasting legacy, not just on track but off it, too. Our latest Sustainability Report with EY represents those efforts, with strong progress once more in our sustainability and legacy initiatives to deliver a global racing championship with minimal environmental impact. 

“We were a first in motorsport when we launched our gender-equal sporting format. EY teams’ calculations detailed in this latest report illustrate the importance of providing a greater platform for women to demonstrate their talents behind the wheel. The 51 per cent reduction in the average male-female performance gap in just three seasons marks great progress and proves our format is a success, but there is still more we can do. 

“We are thrilled to have EY as our Official Sustainability Partner once again for 2024. Their continued commitment to sustainability aligns perfectly with our mission to create a better planet through sport.”

Cristina Gutiérrez, NEOM McLaren Extreme E Team driver, added: “I dreamt of being a driver in Extreme E because I understood the importance of the championship and I knew there were many other aspects including equality. As a woman in motorsport, Extreme E has given us confidence and it has provided so many opportunities since I started competing in the series. I think I have definitely grown a lot as a driver since the beginning, so I think Extreme E is giving us a great platform.

“I think the Sustainability Report is really important for Extreme E. It’s very nice that we can share many things like the competition and the adrenaline on track, but also focus on sustainability off it, through taking care of nature and trying to understand the problems around the world. 

“At each event we learn more about the environmental problems. I think it’s a big opportunity for us to discover these issues and try to educate people about them through social media, our communities, and explain to people the problems that we have found affecting our planet.”

Reinforcing its commitment to help minimise the environmental impact at each remote race location, Extreme E announced in February that EY will continue as the racing series’ Official Sustainability Partner. During Season 4, EY will again run both prior and post-racing impact assessments, calculating emissions and supporting shared ambitions around creating a positive legacy while championing diversity, equality, and inclusiveness.

Throughout Season 3, EY has collaborated with Extreme E to develop an Outcome Measurement Framework (OMF) for the racing series’ Legacy Programme partners. Through this initiative, organisations have been supported to articulate their impact through the development of reporting procedures that are relevant to programme objectives, as well as contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals agenda. Devised in Season 3, the OMF will continue to help Extreme E make informed decisions that facilitate sustainable and long-term impact across all racing locations. 

Extreme E Season 4 continues in July as the racing series heads to Europe. Find out more about how EY and Extreme E are working together, and access the full Season 3 Sustainability Report here.

Extreme E:

Charlotte Sefton, Extreme E
E: charlotte@extreme-e.com / +44 7827 214807

Josh Bell, MPA Creative     
E: jb@mpacreative.com  / T: +44 7557 102540

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Extreme E:
Extreme E is a radical off-road racing series, founded by the same team behind Formula E, which showcases electric SUVs and futuristic technologies in some of the world’s most remote and challenging environments.

This five-event global voyage utilises its sporting platform for the purpose of promoting electrification, environment and equality. The series’ goal is to highlight the impact of climate change in some of the world’s most endangered environments, promote the adoption of electric vehicles to pave the way for a lower carbon future, and provide a world-first gender-equal motorsport platform.

The first sport to ever be built out of a social purpose, Extreme E aims to minimise environmental impact while maximising awareness, racing in places that have already been damaged or affected by climate change or human interference and taking fans deep into the heart of the most pressing issues facing our planet’s future.

Not only that, but Extreme E is also helping the car industry to develop future-facing technology using racing as a platform for road innovation, which accelerates change ten-fold.

In 2025, Extreme E will transition into Extreme H – the world’s first hydrogen off-road racing series – and will be recognised as an FIA Championship from 2025, as we continue to be a pioneer in motorsport.

Season 4 Calendar: 

Saudi Arabia
17-18 February 2024
Europe, TBD
13-14 July 2024
Sardinia, Italy
14-15 September 2024
Sardinia, Italy
21-22 September 2024
USA
23-24 November 2024

About PIF
The Public Investment Fund (PIF) is one of the largest and most impactful sovereign wealth funds in the world. Since 2015, when the Board was reconstituted and oversight transferred to the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, the Fund’s board of directors has been chaired by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Prime Minister, Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs, and Chairman of the Public Investment Fund. PIF plays a leading role in advancing Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation and diversification, as well as contributing to shaping the future of the global economy. Since 2017, PIF has established over 90 companies. PIF is building a diversified portfolio by entering into attractive and long-term investment opportunities in 13 strategic sectors in Saudi Arabia and globally.

www.pif.gov.sa

About Continental Tires: Founding Partner and Official Tire Partner
Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent, and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation.

The tyres business area has 24 production and development locations worldwide. Continental is one of the leading tyre manufacturers with more than 56,000 employees and offers a broad product range for passenger cars, commercial and special-purpose vehicles as well as two-wheelers. Through continuous investment in research and development, Continental makes a major contribution to safe, cost effective and ecologically efficient mobility. The portfolio of the tyres business area includes services for the tyre trade and fleet applications, as well as digital management systems for tyres.

About LuisaViaRoma: Official Fashion Partner
Defined by the Financial Times as “a haven for directional fashion,” LUISAVIAROMA.COM is the top online luxury fashion destination with 5,000,000 visitors per month and worldwide shipping. With each new season, the website presents the collections of more than 600 established designers and young emerging talents.

About ENOWA: Official Green Hydrogen Partner
ENOWA is a world-class energy, water and hydrogen company founded in NEOM, Saudi Arabia. ENOWA produces and delivers clean and sustainable resources for industrial and commercial applications using a customer-centric smart and connected system, designed to be circular and takes advantage of NEOM's optimal solar and wind energy profile. ENOWA benefits from NEOM's greenfield site, which has no legacy infrastructure, to advance Energy, Water, and Hydrogen innovation.

ENOWA will act as a catalyst and incubator for developing new, sustainable energy and water businesses while creating a robust economic sector regionally. Through its commitment to renewable energy and efficient water management, ENOWA seeks to become a global reference for industry leaders and setting a benchmark for sustainable economic circular systems around the world.

For more information, please visit: enowa.neom.com

About Vodafone Business: Official Technology and Communication Partner
With expertise in connectivity, global scale and the leading IoT platform, Vodafone Business is a leading technology communications company helping organisations succeed in a digital world and keeping society connected. Vodafone’s purpose is to connect for a better future, enabling an inclusive and sustainable digital society, and many of its solutions have sustainability and inclusivity embedded.

Unique in its scale as the largest pan-European and African technology communications company, Vodafone transforms the way we live and work through its innovation, technology, connectivity, platforms, products and services. Vodafone operates mobile and fixed networks in 21 countries, and partners with mobile networks in 52 more.  As of 31 December 2021, they had over 300m mobile customers, more than 28m fixed broadband customers and over 22m TV customers.

This collaboration will see Vodafone Business leading innovations and capabilities such as 5G, MPN, IOT and MEC, integrated into Extreme E’s global operations and will include full involvement in the purpose- driven elements of the series, with special prominence on Extreme E’s Legacy Programmes and the Science Laboratory on board the St Helena. Through its IOT solutions, Vodafone Business is helping sustainability efforts, including agriculture, forestation and decarbonisation of energy grids.

Find out more on http://www.Vodafone.com/business  and follow Vodafone on its social media channels:

Twitter: @VodafoneGroup
LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/company/vodafone

About EY: Official Sustainability Partner
EY is a global leader in assurance, consulting, strategy, transactions and tax services, and already plays a significant role in working with Extreme E. Originally announcing its collaboration with the championship back in 2020, EY came on board to help Extreme E achieve its commitment to minimising its overall footprint whilst creating a positive legacy.

Whilst Extreme E strives ‘to race without a trace’, the framework provided by EY has helped the series to minimize its environmental impact across each of its remote race locations. Both prior and post-racing impact assessments have supported Extreme E to strategically plan their actions within these areas.

EY and Extreme E will work closely together to promote the five pillars of Extreme E (or “Five Es”) through the adoption of ‘XE Talks’. These informative presentations, facilitated by Extreme E’s Scientific Committee, will shed light on the Five Es, showcasing the joint commitment of EY and Extreme E.

About Symbio: Official Hydrogen Fuel Cell Provider
Symbio is a leading technology and industrial partner for sustainable mobility pioneers. A front-runner in zero-emission hydrogen mobility, Symbio combines industrial leadership, breakthrough innovation, and entrepreneurial agility to create tailor-made solutions and support its clients in the deployment of their clean mobility roadmaps. Symbio designs and manufactures a wide range of StackPacks (pre-integrated and pre-validated fuel cell systems) that meet all power, durability, and autonomy needs of on-road and off-road hydrogen mobility. 

In 2023, Symbio inaugurated SymphonHy, the largest integrated fuel cells Gigafactory in Europe, with a capacity of 50,000 fuel cell systems per year. The Group ambitions to manufacture 200,000 StackPacks annually by 2030 to accelerate the deployment of clean mobility that is respectful of both the environment and health.

An equally-owned joint venture between Forvia, Michelin, and Stellantis, Symbio combines 30 years’ experience, and has a track record of more than 8 million kilometers driven by its solutions. To learn more, visit www.symbio.one.

About Kaizen Clean Energy: Official Clean Energy Technology Provider
Kaizen Clean Energy (KCE), a manufacturer of hydrogen generators, is developing integrated solutions for electric vehicle (EV) charging, hydrogen fuelling, and distributed power for the grid and critical assets.

KCE offers its mobile microgrid to customers through an Energy as a Service contract, which eliminates large capital expenses and provides customers with the flexibility to scale with energy needs over time.

Kaizen Clean Energy will support ENOWA - NEOM’s energy, water, and hydrogen subsidiary and Green Hydrogen Power Partner to Extreme E - in delivering a pioneering hydrogen microgrid solution to the championship.

Find out more on: www.kaizencleanenergy.com.

About ALLCOT: Official Environmental Contribution Partner
Guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement, ALLCOT works together with communities, organizations, and governments worldwide in climate actions, to accelerate the transition to Net Zero.  ALLCOT develops Climate action through projects and solutions with triple impact: environmental, social, and economic; using four strategies:  

• Sustainability strategies: Innovative, comprehensive, and tailored solutions for businesses to reduce and compensate greenhouse gas emissions and measures the socio-economic co-benefits through the SDGs.
• Project development & implementation: Implementation of carbon projects in developing countries, rooted in community engagement, environmental stewardship, and economic viability, driven by integrity, equity, and transparency.
• Capacity building: Providing individuals and communities with practical skills and knowledge, possible to apply in their daily lives.
• Advocacy: Creating systemic change to work closely with policymakers and stakeholders to promote sustainable policies and practices at the local, national, and international levels.

Find out more on: www.allcot.com