Last weekend Verge got to experience the latest race in pioneering motor racing series – Extreme E in Scotland with Vodafone Business.
Extreme E is a radical off-road racing series in the most remote corners of the planet impacted by climate change. 10 teams, consisting of one male and one female driver, racing to highlight global issues and inspire the next generation – with teams run by legends including Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Jenson Button.
Extreme E’s five-location global voyage aims to: pave the way to a lower carbon future through the promotion of electric vehicles; draw attention to the impacts of climate change and the solutions we can all be part of; and seeks to accelerate gender equality in motorsport.
In each location Extreme E visits, it leaves behind a long-lasting positive impact through its Legacy Programmes by working with local NGOs and the series’ Scientific Committee to support the issues the series is trying to mitigate. The latest project, which was launched in Scotland, is centred around the restoration of the River Nith to ensure the preservation of Atlantic salmon. Its legacy initiative will focus on the environmental work which tackles issues facing Atlantic salmon, and the wider ecosystem, due to rising water temperatures and changing rainfall patterns.
Extreme E’s official Technology Communications Partner Vodafone Business, are using the pioneering championship as a testbed for innovation. The IoT sensors put in place on the River Nith, which will monitor temperatures, acidity levels and pollution levels in the water, will play a crucial role in the wider Legacy Programme.
“We’ve been measuring the size and quality of the young fish born here alongside doing some work to protect the river. We planted trees to help reinforce the riverbanks and fend off erosion, and also installed some air and water temperature sensors to monitor the conditions and help the fish thrive here.”
Molly Taylor, Veloce Racing
We were lucky enough to visit the race with Vodafone Business, Extreme E’s technology communications partner. The collaboration between Extreme E and Vodafone Business are leading innovations and capabilities such as 5G, MPN, IoT and MEC, integrated into Extreme E’s global operations.
With expertise in connectivity, global scale and the leading IoT platform, Vodafone Business helps organisations succeed in a digital world and keeping society connected. Vodafone’s purpose is to connect for a better future, enabling an inclusive and sustainable digital society, and many of its solutions have sustainability and inclusivity embedded. Through its IoT solutions, Vodafone Business is helping sustainability efforts, including agriculture, forestation and decarbonisation of energy grids.
To learn more about Extreme E and Vodafone Business, visit www.extreme-e.com or www.vodafone.com/business
