The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, has been given a taste of Extreme E action at a private event at Knockhill circuit in Scotland ahead of next weekend’s Ocean X-Prix in Senegal.
The Prince, who has previously driven a Formula E simulator, got behind the wheel of the all-electric racing series’ Odyssey 21 racing SUV as part of a visit to learn about the series’ green initiatives.
He was joined by Extreme E founder and CEO Alejandro Agag and Andretti United driver Catie Munnings who showed him the ropes behind the wheel of the 536 horsepower machine.
“Today will certainly be one of those days that I won’t forget in a hurry” said Munnings. “It was an absolute honor to meet The Duke of Cambridge and to teach him about the Odyssey 21 and some of the key attributes of these incredible machines.
“Prince William grasped the basic skills quickly and seemed very at ease with driving electric vehicles, maybe my Andretti United team-mate Timmy [Hansen] should be feeling a little threatened!”
Also present was Adam Bond, boss of AFC Energy – which co-developed the innovative hydrogen fuel cell utilized by Extreme E to charge its fleet of race cars at events – and George Imafidon, a junior engineer at Lewis Hamilton’s X44 team.
Imafidon said: “It was an honor to be at the event today and to meet His Royal Highness Prince William. As a recent engineering graduate myself, it’s incredible to see how the motorsport world is responding to the climate crisis, something my generation in particular cares deeply about.
“To have His Royal Highness here today just shows the ambition of Extreme E in making a positive difference to the planet, and I’m incredibly proud to be a part of it through my team, X44.”
The test drive came as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge toured a number of innovative projects across Scotland ahead of the UN Climate Chamce Conference, COP26, which takes place later this year.
“It was a great honor for Extreme E to host Prince William at Knockhill today,” said Agag. “It was a fantastic opportunity for us to show him the ways in which we are working towards the same shared goals around a lower carbon future for our planet.
“I think he really enjoyed his experience behind the wheel of the ODYSSEY 21, under the expert instruction of Catie.
“Perhaps a guest racing appearance in Extreme E beckons in the future!”
