Extreme H completes Pioneer 25 testing

Extreme H has completed final testing of its Pioneer 25 race car ahead of its debut later this year.

The test at Fontjoncouse in France earlier this week focused on performance fine-tuning as well as testing the latest tire developments from Continental.

“The tires we have been testing here this week are a big step forward in performance from our last test, and have received great driver feedback,” said Extreme H technical director Mark Grain. “We’ve also been performing some endurance tests with a lot of the components and fine tuning of the hydrogen fuel cell so that we are ready to go racing later this year.

“Now that we understand a lot more about the types of racing that we want to achieve at the World Cup, we’ve also been able to simulate a lot of those conditions and finetune the car around those formats.”

Kevin Hansen – who has been a regular runner during the car's testing and development – was driving the Pioneer 25 at the test along with his Veloce Racing Extreme E teammate Molly Taylor, who was sampling the car for the first time.

Comparing it to the outgoing Odyssey 21, which was used throughout Extreme E's four-year run, Taylor said, “The car’s got a lot more potential to be pushed further. It’s instantly very confidence-inspiring.

“The suspension has a lot more scope, especially in the tough conditions, as where we are testing the car it is really rough. You feel like you can lean on it a lot more in those areas and the car will take a lot more [than the Extreme E car]. It’s also a very different experience the first time you jump in. I was amazed how quickly that sitting in the middle of the car felt at home.”

While still an all-electric drivetrain like the Odyssey 21, power for the Pioneer 25 comes from an onboard hydrogen fuel cell.

“It was really interesting when they started the hydrogen up and you see all this steam coming out of the exhaust,” said Taylor. “Normally if my car at home has steam coming out, things are going really bad, but it was really cool in a way, makes you realize you are driving something that’s very different.

“It’s been nice to be able to show what we can do with technology and what we can do with motorsport and to be part of that future development.”

While yet to race, Hansen says the Pioneer 25 has already shown to be better than its predecessor.

“We are making progress, trialing different things and trying to make the car the best it can be,” he said. “It feels much better than the previous car. It’s in a strong shape and once we get to racing, when we get to optimize for top performance, it will be really interesting to see what more we can squeeze out of the final product.

The Extreme H World Cup will take place later this year, with details currently being finalized and information set to be made public soon.

“I feel quite impatient – we just want it to happen now,” said Taylor. “It’s been so cool to see all the development and all the work that’s gone into making this project happen.

“It’s a pretty ambitious thing to put together and it’s been really exciting to finally be able to test the car that I’ve seen so much of and really see its potential.”