Dakar Debrief: Guerlain Chicherit drives ODYSSEY 21
Dakar Rally and cross-country specialist Guerlain Chicherit tested the Extreme E electric-SUV ODYSSEY 21 as part of its intensive ongoing development programme last month in Saudi Arabia.
Chicherit, who has competed in the Dakar Rally on ten different occasions, knows the challenges of off-road driving inside-out and spoke positively about his time behind the wheel of the E-SUV – having completed the event's shakedown, followed by a week of trials in Al-'Ula.
“The car is really easy to drive and above all, is very strong across the dunes,” explained Chicherit. “The advantage of this electric car is that there’s so much torque especially at low RPM, which makes it really easy to drive in the sand and off-track. Overall, the handling is responsive but you still have to get used to driving an electric car, especially as there is no gearbox.”
With just under 12 months to go until the inaugural Extreme E race in Senegal, Chicherit acknowledged the importance of rigorous testing in a variety of different situations and terrains.
“It’s super important to push the car to the limit because once the race starts next year, all the competitors will be driving as hard as they can,” explained the Frenchman. “It’s very important to do this groundwork now. The terrain in Saudi was amazing for testing – it’s also going to be the location of the second round of the championship so it’s valuable to test the car in a relevant environment.”
When asked about the biggest challenges testing the E-SUV, Chicherit identified a couple of different areas. “Some locations that Extreme E visit will have the potential to use more battery than others,” he said. “We need to test the car in a breadth of temperatures to see how the car performs in varying conditions.
“For me, jumping into the car, the hardest thing was to learn was how to manage the battery life. I think that will be an important point in this championship. Additionally, the races are each in very different environments which is never easy – you have mixed conditions, and can be exposed to the elements.”
As well as the ODYSSEY 21 test, the E-SUV’s bespoke tyres, manufactured by Continental Tyres – the Official Tyre Partner to Extreme E – were also put through their paces in the Saudi desert.
He explained: “I did the whole test with the same set of tyres. We didn’t get any punctures and drove on some really, really rocky parts which could easily damage the rubber but this was not the case. They were still in good shape after four days of testing. I’m confident they will do a really good job.”
So, the all-important question, would Chicherit like to return to the wheel of the ODYSSEY 21?
“I had some awesome days in Saudi. Off-road is what I love and to go there with Extreme E’s electric car was truly fantastic. I'd be super stoked to get behind the wheel again and push for even more."