Dakar Debrief: Ken Block

Off-road racing legend Ken Block strapped into the ODYSSEY 21 for his first outing in an electric race car, and a maiden appearance at the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia back in January, with development of Extreme E's pioneering electric SUV kicking up a notch.

The American arrived in Saudi Arabia eager and ready to get behind the wheel, just a day prior to the iconic 7000km endurance event's closing Grand Prix of Qiddiya stage ­– the perfect proving ground for the ODYSSEY 21 as Extreme E prepares to return to the Saudi desert during its inaugural 2021 campaign.

Block's pre-stage familiarisation run provided an opportunity, albeit a brief one, to learn the ropes of a unique car, that drives very differently to the ICE powered, turbocharged machines he's used to wielding.

"Driving in the desert of Saudi Arabia was my first time behind the wheel of an electric race car," said Block. "On the Thursday, when I first got into the car, we started on some slower, technical sections before opening up on some faster sandy sections. Learning the capabilities of the ODYSSEY 21 and adapting to a whole new type of power delivery was an incredible experience.

"In fact, I was still trying to adapt after the Qiddiya stage. My whole career’s been spent driving combustion-engined cars with turbos. The type of driving there, with left-foot braking and playing with the spool of the turbo to try and get drive out of corners, is completely different. With electric motors, you don’t have to do that. You can be more progressive with the throttle and wait a little longer because the torque is there the second you get on the pedal – the thing just wants to leap forward.

"I was having to tone down my style a little as the car reacts so quickly and the power delivery is so fast. I had to adjust my inputs to smooth out the movement of the car so I can be quicker through and out of the corners. It’s a giant leap in terms of size compared with the likes of the Ford Fiesta I’m used to driving, too.

"Qiddiya was quite different to anything I’ve done before. I’ve done some longer-distance stage rallies, like the World Rally Championship event in Mexico, but that isn’t as rough. That was the big adjustment. There’s a need not only to slow down when it’s rough, but to understand how much of a beating the ODYSSEY 21 can take."

Completing the stage, alongside hundreds of competitors from factory entrants to specialist privateers well-versed in the challenges that the Dakar throws up, was some feat for the ODYSSEY 21 and a checkmark on the bucket list for Block. The run also provided further encouragement, with the car completing its first run in-anger at a competitive pace, unofficially clocking the third-fastest time.

With six months of rigorous development in the bag, Block was full of praise for the job that Spark Racing Technology, the ODYSSEY 21's designer and manufacturer, and Extreme E's partners had done to-date on the E-SUV. 

"It was an incredibly fun experience – I really enjoyed myself. Going 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds, with those huge tyres and the size and weight of the thing was really quite impressive. Going from the smaller cars I’m used to, to this bigger beast and seeing performance and acceleration be really similar felt the most exciting thing for me.

"It’s obviously had a lot of testing work and setup work go into it already. To get the car feeling as far down the line as it does at this stage of its development is pretty incredible, and it has surprised me – it’s much further along than I’d anticipated.

"There’s always a lot of development to be done, from the initial design to the thousands and thousands of miles needed to get the car ready to race. Spark and Extreme E, and its partners, have done a fantastic job so far. There’s a lot of refinement to come but the potential is huge."

The series' appeal speaks for itself, according to Block. The American feels Extreme E’s race format will be conducive to engaging on-stage action and, combined with its environmental goals, he sees it as a compelling proposition for both drivers and fans alike.

"The whole idea of the championship itself is appealing. First, the door-to-door, head-to-head racing is going to be extremely exciting and the people behind Extreme E have put in a lot of thought, not only into the sporting side of things but the environmental awareness aspect too.

"The championship will be very entertaining to viewers, with a massive variation between locations from Saudi Arabia to Greenland, and I’m excited to see how dynamic this series will be and its important messaging surrounding climate change and sustainability. "