Extreme E cleans up with Kärcher
Extreme E, the radical electric off-road racing championship, is pleased to announce that Kärcher has become the Official Cleaning Supplier for the series.
The German family business Kärcher, famous around the world for its professional and domestic cleaning equipment, will work alongside Extreme E to ensure its fleet of ODYSSEY 21 electric SUVs are kept in immaculate condition at each of this year’s five X Prixs, as well as maintaining the interior cleanliness of the championship’s floating centrepiece, the St. Helena, home to the championship’s vehicles, 50 crew and its on-board laboratory, which will be home to a variety of scientists.
Cleaning stations will temporarily be set up at each of the events courses to keep the cars clean during X Prixs, beginning with the series debut in the sandy terrain of Saudi Arabia in just a few weeks’ time.
By using modern resource-saving products with optimised water and energy consumption fed by St. Helena’s own on-board water maker or the water by product from Extreme E and AFC Energy’s revolutionary hydrogen fuel cell charging system, the Kärcher equipment ensures that no environmental damage will result – underlying Extreme E’s mission to ‘race without a trace’ at all of its remote locations this year which include Brazil, Patagonia, Greenland, Senegal and Saudi Arabia.
Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer at Extreme E, said: “We are delighted that Kärcher has come on board as Extreme E’s cleaning supplier. The company shares the same ethos as us in terms of environmental wellbeing and promoting everyday solutions for our planet, and we certainly believe it’s vital for us all to acknowledge that.
“It’s important to ensure our fleet of ODYSSEY 21s are kept clean, not only for the visual benefits but it is also vital for safety – and of course, we also need to maintain the cleanliness of our floating abode, the St. Helena – after all, she will be home for the next eleven months to our staff, our science laboratory and all of our race equipment.”
Christian May, Deputy Chief Executive Officer & Chief Sales Officer at Kärcher said: “We are very proud to support Extreme E as Official Cleaning Supplier working together to draw attention to the consequences of climate change. What is important to us in all our sponsorship activities is the authenticity of our involvement. This means that all of our commitments follow a guiding principle and have to match our corporate values. At its core, Kärcher stands for preserving values. This idea has completely convinced us: Driving all-electric SUVs in mixed teams in places that are highly endangered by climate change in order to draw attention to this problem and similar ones.”
Following the inaugural race in Saudi Arabia (3-4 April), Extreme E will visit Senegal (29-30 May), Greenland (28-29 August), Brazil (23-24 October) and Patagonia (11-12 December). By holding races in areas that are suffering as the hands of the environmental crisis, such as the Amazon rainforest and the Arctic, the aim is to raise viewers' awareness and interest in environmental issues.
The series also has a unique viewing format, as races will be held without spectators and broadcasted as two-hour programs, in a bid to reduce the championship’s carbon footprint. In addition, the championship is transporting equipment for the race by sea on the St. Helena, which has already set sail for the first event in AlUla, Saudi Arabia.
Based on the brand claim, Kärcher has coined the motto ‘Be the difference’ and aims to be the benchmark for sustainability within the domestic and professional cleaning market. The global company is on a mission for its production to be fully carbon-neutral by the end of 2021, as is Extreme E.