CUPRA enters Extreme E Championship

Extreme E

The global electric racing competition highlights natural environments under threat from climate change. The competition pits electric racing cars against each other, aims to encourage us all to take positive action to protect the future of the planet and demonstrates how we can prevent further damage to help combat climate change.

CUPRA was a part of Extreme E from the outset until the end of the 2023 season. It was the first automotive brand to announce its participation, joining forces with ABT Sportsline as the team’s main partner.

ABT CUPRA XE TEAM

“We are proud to have been part of the Extreme E family for three years,” says ABT CEO Thomas Biermaier. “Our thanks go to Alejandro Agag, Ali Russell, James Taylor and their whole team for the great cooperation and the support during ABT’s first foray into off-road motorsport.” ABT and CUPRA were founding members of Extreme E and have competed in every race of the series since 2021. With Claudia Hürtgen, Jutta Kleinschmidt, Klara Andersson, Mattias Ekström, Nasser Al-Attiyah, Sébastien Loeb and Adrien Tambay, some well-known drivers have competed for the team.

“We continue to firmly believe in the Extreme E concept of combining exciting motorsport with responsibility for the environment,” explains Thomas Biermaier. “In addition to trophies for victories and podium finishes, we will take home many unforgettable memories and impressions – from the glaciers in Greenland to the deserts of Saudi Arabia and the Atacama Desert in Chile.” And the series remains on the radar. Biermaier: “Together with our current and potential partners, we are keeping a close eye on the transition from Extreme E to Extreme H – who knows what the future will bring with the hydrogen era ...”

Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E, said: “We would like to pay our sincere thanks to ABT and CUPRA after their three years in Extreme E, since the very start. CUPRA have been great advocates for our championship and huge supporters of electric, sustainable racing. Since their business focus is on the electric car market, and we are transitioning to hydrogen-powered racing, it’s a logical move for them to concentrate on their involvement with Formula E. It’s great that CUPRA will remain within the ‘electric motorsport’ family and we wish them well in their future endeavours.”

CUPRA Tavascan XE

At CUPRA, electrification and performance go hand in hand, and the CUPRA Tavascan XE was designed to match the spirit of the Extreme E Championship. The car was equipped with a 54-kWh battery placed behind the cockpit, to produce an optimal car weight distribution, and had a 0 to 100km/h speed of about four seconds. Crucially, the CUPRA Tavascan XE was  sustainable, environmentally focused, came equipped with 3D-printed parts to improve adaptability. This also made repairing the all-electric car much easier and quicker during the heat of a race.

The season 3 version of the team’s car featured an updated livery to match the UrbanRebel, the ABT CUPRA GEN3 Formula e car and the CUPRA e-Racer. A multi-layered and chameleonic body colour, combining a deep purple and neon yellow. The all-electric off-road racing car hints at the design language to be used in the future series production CUPRA Tavascan, the brand’s second 100% electric model, which is designed in Barcelona and will reach Europe and overseas markets in 2024. Learn more about the CUPRA Tavascan.

The Extreme E series is enhancing CUPRA’s electrification research while promoting electrification, sustainability, environmental awareness, and gender equality.