“I think every race car should be built like this.” Munnings, Hansen Brothers and Grönholm Get First Taste of Hydrogen Racing with Extreme H

The Pioneer 25, named to signify the dawn of a new era in motorsport, is the result of extensive research and development process. Since the championship’s announcement in 2022, the Extreme H car has been designed to embody the future of sustainable, high-performance racing. It features cutting-edge hydrogen fuel cell technology, supplied by Symbio, the series' Official Fuel Cell Provider, and delivers a peak output of 400 kW (550 hp), capable of propelling the 2200 kg car from 0-100 kph in just 4.5 seconds.

After months of anticipation, this new slew of drivers got to put the car through its paces, providing invaluable feedback as it gears up for its competitive debut. The car has already undergone an intensive testing program equivalent to three full seasons of racing, ensuring it is race-ready for its inaugural campaign.

The Hansen brothers, alongside Munnings, are veteran drivers in the Extreme E series, with Andretti Altawkilat Extreme E and E.ON Next Veloce Racing respectively, and have all been strong advocates for environmental consciousness in motorsport. Their involvement in the development and testing of the Extreme H Pioneer 25 highlights their commitment to advancing the sport while promoting sustainable innovation.

Reflecting on the first test session, Catie Munnings said, "I’ve been waiting to get behind the wheel of this car ever since I first heard about it, and it did not disappoint! The handling and performance of the car are outstanding, with great improvement on the Odyssey 21. It’s also a thrill to know that we are pioneering something that could change the face of motorsport."

“It’s really cool to have a championship that’s a world first in using a hydrogen fuel cell. The car is so stable, it flies really well and it was super fun to test it.”

Timmy Hansen echoed Catie’s sentiments, saying: “They’ve taken all the learnings from the Odyssey 21 to build the Pioneer 25. Overall you can tell the car is much better designed and there’s so many more tools for the teams to use to optimise the setup for each track, which could be very interesting.”

“This car is very stable. So now we sit in the middle of the car, like you just have full control of where your wheels are. I think every race car should be built like this."

Kevin Hansen added, “It’s been my first time in the Pioneer 25 and it has been fascinating to try a new part of the future of motorsport."

"It’s crazy to think that five years ago we were testing the Odyssey 21 me and my brother and here we are five years later with the brand-new future of the series."

"They’ve learned a lot from the Extreme E car. It’s a better chassis, handles better and has a lower centre of gravity.”

The hydrogen fuel cell at the heart of the Pioneer 25 represents a revolution in sustainable energy. Symbio’s 75 kW fuel cell charges and powers the battery pack produced and supported trackside by Fortescue ZERO. This groundbreaking approach to energy storage, already in use behind the scenes in Extreme E, will be a defining feature of the Extreme H series, showcasing how motorsport can be a driving force for green technology.

Mark Grain, Technical Director for Extreme H, highlighted the importance of the test: "This test session is another crucial milestone for the development of the Pioneer 25 and the entire Extreme H championship. The feedback from top-tier drivers like Catie, Kevin, Timmy, and Niclas is invaluable as we fine-tune the car’s performance and reliability. Their insights help us ensure that the car is not only fast and competitive but also ready to showcase the full potential of hydrogen technology in motorsport."

The successful test in France is the latest of many positive steps leading to the official launch of the Extreme H series in 2025. Over the past 12 months of development, the car has completed as many test miles as three seasons of Extreme E, and last month became the first hydrogen racing car to pass FIA crash testing.

Stay tuned for further news and developments on Extreme H coming soon and watch the video recap of the test here. Watch Here

Extreme E:

Julia Wall-Clarke, Extreme E     
E: julia@extreme-e.com / T: +44 7389 727708

Please visit the Extreme E media centre to access images, videos and press releases: https://www.extreme-e.com/en/mediacentre

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.

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 and water company founded in NEOM, Saudi Arabia. ENOWA produces and delivers clean and sustainable resources for industrial and commercial applications using a 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 circular economic 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.

Vodafone is a leading European and African telecoms company. We provide mobile and fixed services to over 330 million customers in 15 countries (excludes Italy which is held as a discontinued operation under Vodafone Group), partner with mobile networks in 45 more and have one of the world’s largest IoT platforms. In Africa, our financial technology businesses serve almost 79 million customers across seven countries – managing more transactions than any other provider.

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 

About Jackson Swiss Partners: Official Foreign Exchange Supplier
Jackson Swiss Partners, known for its lean, debt-free, and profitable business model, prioritises client protection and financial prudence above all else. With a steadfast commitment to avoiding speculative ventures and minimising risk exposure, Jackson Swiss Partners sets itself apart by offering bespoke FX hedging solutions akin to insurance policies rather than traditional trading strategies.