The Spark Odyssey 21, stylized as ODYSSEY 21, is an

electric Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by ...

off-road racecar designed by

Spark Racing Technology Spark Racing Technology (SRT) is a motorsport manufacturer specialized in the development and engineering of high-performance e-mobility cars and modules. The company was founded by Frédéric Vasseur to become the sole chassis supplier for the FI ...

for the

Extreme E Extreme E is an FIA-sanctioned international off-road racing series that uses spec silhouette electric SUVs to race in remote parts of the world, such as the Saudi Arabian desert or the Arctic. All racing locations are chosen to raise awareness ...

championship.

Development and promotion

It was first announced in August 2018, that

Formula E Formula E, officially the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, is a single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars. The series was conceived in 2011 in Paris by FIA president Jean Todt and Spanish businessman Alejandro Agag, who is ...

would operate a new ‘Extreme E’ electric SUV series, that would race through challenging locations and terrain such as the Himalayas and the Arctic regions, and was first presented to manufacturers as a spec-series with limited areas for open development, including motors and bodywork, although the base chassis would be a set specification, and the cars were to be silhouettes of roadgoing SUV models. On 1 February 2019, it was announced by the series that the cars would use technology developed for the Formula E Championship, with the specifications parts being the base chassis, battery, suspension, ECU and software, as well as an FE powertrain motor, with the last being optional. Chassis constructor for Formula E,

would also be announced as the builder of the base XE chassis. In the same announcement, it was said that the series would use a customer team approach, with all manufacturers free to sell their powertrains to a maximum of two customers at a capped price. On April 23, 2019, a clarification was issued, which details

's involvement, with Spark building the car’s tubular steel frame, crash structure and roll cage, in addition to the suspension and dampers, braking and steering system. The bodykit areas for manufacturers were also defined as the engine cover, side skirt, lights and front and rear bumpers. On July 5, 2019, at the

Goodwood Festival of Speed The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an annual motorsports festival featuring modern and historic motor racing vehicles taking part in a hillclimbing, hill climb and other events, held in the grounds of Goodwood House, West Sussex, England, in l ...

, Extreme E took the covers off the car, revealing its name as the ODYSSEY 21, with a niobium-reinforced steel alloy tubular frame, a crash structure and roll cage, while tyres for both winter and summer conditions would be supplied by founding partner Continental. On the same day, following the public reveal, Spark Racing Technologies technical director Theophile Gouzin revealed that the car was to undergo visits to a number of World Rally Championship and Dakar Rally proving grounds, such as Château de Lastours, following September, in preparation for the 2021 debut. During the weekend, the car also ran demonstration runs up the Goodwood hillclimb circuit, powered by the motor from the

Spark-Renault SRT 01E The Spark-Renault SRT_01E, also known as the SRT01-e (since the 2015–16 season) or the Spark Gen1 (after the introduction of the successive Gen2 chassis), was an electric formula race car designed for the inaugural season of Formula E, in 20 ...

. The vehicle was showcased in action during the

2020 Dakar Rally The 2020 Dakar Rally was the 42nd edition of the event and the first edition held in Saudi Arabia. The event started in Jeddah on 5 January and finished in Al-Qiddiya on 17 January after 12 stages of the competition. This was also the first eve ...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

in January 2020.

Guerlain Chicherit Guerlain Chicherit (born 20 May 1978 in Paris) is a French rally and rallycross driver, and a professional skier who was four times world champion in freeriding (1999, 2002, 2006 and 2007). Biography He made his professional motorsport debut in ...

drove the vehicle during shakedown one day before the race start.

Ken Block Kenneth Paul Block (November 21, 1967 – January 2, 2023) was an American professional rally driver with the Hoonigan Racing Division, formerly known as the Monster World Rally Team. Block was also one of the co-founders of DC Shoes. He also ...

raced it on final stage 12 between

Haradh Haradh () is a large town and industrial city in the Ahsa Governorate in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, approximately southwest of Hofuf. Due to its location above the Ghawar oil field, several oil and gas wells, along with oil refineri ...

and Al-Qiddiya as a guest by the invitation of the organizers A.S.O.{{cite web, url=https://www.extreme-e.com/en/news/68_Extreme-E-E-SUV-and-Ken-Block-prepped-for-maiden-Dakar-Rally-outing.html , website=extreme-e.com , title=Extreme E E-SUV and Ken Block prepped for maiden Dakar Rally outing , date=2020-01-17 , accessdate=2020-01-17

References

Electric sports cars Green racing Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile Extreme E