Off-road races have been held all over the world as organisers have searched for new and tougher challenges for participants. One region which has not seen such events has been the Himalayas, although there have been rallies in the foothills of the area.

In 2021, a round of the Extreme E series for all-electric SUVs will be held in the Himalayas. It will be the fourth round of the pioneering off-road race series. The Mountain Round, as it will be known, will take place in Nepal’s Mustang District in the mountain range.

“Once again, we’re breaking the mold in motorsport as Extreme E will become the first race to ever be staged in the Himalayas…[it] will provide the sternest of tests to the world’s leading drivers, engineers and teams, supporting our aim to promote electric vehicles in the fight against climate change,” said Alejandro Agag, Founder & CEO of Extreme E.

The championship will be held in the deepest gorge in the world in the Kali Gandaki Valley. Located 2,750 metres above sea level, the Mustang District will challenge drivers with elevation changes, course gravel, rocky obstacles and turbulent rivers.

The Himalayas are what is often referred to as the ‘pulse of the planet’ and in need of protection. According to the UN, Nepal ranks as the fourth most vulnerable country to climate change. With the largest concentration of glaciers outside the polar caps, Nepal risks losing 66% of its ice due to climate variability and with it, the lifeline of river basins and ecosystems across Asia.

Besides the Mountain Round, Extreme E’s first championship will have 5 rounds – in the Amazon Rainforest (Para, Brazil), Greenland (Kangerlussuaq), and Saudi Arabia which will be the Desert Round. A fifth round will be an Ocean Round but the location has not been confirmed although it is believed to likely be an island in the Indian Ocean

Of the Desert Round which will take place in the world’s largest single continuous sand desert, Agag said: “One of the major cornerstones of this revolutionary championship is that we will race across terrain and environments that will push the world’s top drivers, teams and engineers to their absolute limits,” said Agag. “The Kingdom’s terrain is stunning and unforgiving, while the heat and conditions will be intense. So there is no question that the winning combination of driver and machine will be a deserving one.”

Each Extreme E round will take place over 3 days, within an area no larger than 10 square kms. Routes will be designed to incorporate existing obstacles and features with elevation changes and jumps without the need to adapt the natural setting, thereby avoiding negative impact on the environment.

Continental is a Founding Partner of Extreme E and will be a Premium Partner of the series in 2021. The company will supply all the participating vehicles with extra robust tyres suited for the diverse and extremely demanding conditions that they will encounter.

Promoters Formula E Holdings Ltd. expect at least 10 teams to take part in the first season. Initial tests are currently being conducted for the series which is due to launch in February 2021. “With very exciting and completely different locations, we are looking forward to testing the performance of our tyres on various terrain and surfaces,” said Sandra Roslan, Continental’s Head of Content Marketing and Project Manager for Extreme E.