After releasing its tentative race schedule for season 3 in late 2022, we’ve known Extreme E has been planning an all-electric X Prix event in Scotland in May. However, today we have learned that the Scottish event will be a Hydro X Prix held at the site of a former coal mine before it’s revamped as a hydropower plant and wind farm.
Extreme E is an FIA-sanctioned off-road racing series that showcases the potential of all-electric SUVs barreling through some of the Earth’s toughest climates as both motorsport entertainment and a subtle reminder of the global effects of climate change. As a series with a cause, Extreme E simultaneously gives back to the areas it races in by setting up environmentally-focused “legacy programs.”
Leading up to the final X Prix event of season 2 last fall, Extreme E shared its initial race calendar for season 3 in 2023. Locations once again included Saudi Arabia and Italy, but also promised a new X Prix event to be held in the US for the first time, or through the Rainforest of Brazil.
That particular race location in September is yet to be determined, but we do know Extreme E is bringing an X Prix to another new country for the first time in May – Scotland. Today, the electric racing series has given even more specifics regarding its second event held in the UK, sharing that the Scotland race will be a Hydro X Prix held at the site of a former coal mine.
Credit: Extreme E
Extreme E will race a coal mine before its transformed
According to the details released overseas early this morning, Extreme E’s Hydro X Prix will be held at the former Glenmuckloch opencast coal mine site in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The Extreme E series states that the coal mine is the perfect race location to provide a “natural amphitheater” to showcase the industry’s transition into clean energy.
Furthermore, the water on site (seen in the video below) will help signify how vital H2O can be in bolstering the use of renewable energy. Extreme E founder Alejandro Agag elaborated:
Extreme E uses its racing platform to tell inspirational stories of global locations on the forefront of climate issues. Here in Scotland, our race site will play homage to the much needed transition of an old coal mine which is being given a new and exciting lease of life as a hydro-project which will provide a fully renewable energy source for the region for centuries to come.
Not only will this site provide one of the most dramatic and extreme race courses we have seen in our global journey, it will tell a poignant story about transition and the changing of courses that the energy industry and communities must all take if we are to succeed in the fight against climate change.
Looking ahead, the Glenmuckloch site will soon be revamped as a Pumped Storage Hydropower (PSH) plant and wind farm for Scotland. When construction is complete, the PSH plant will have a capacity that will be able to deliver a rate of 210 MW per hour alongside eight hours of storage capacity. The estate director for the mine property said 1MW is enough to power 2,000 homes for an hour under average energy demands. The site will act as a power storage site during periods of excess energy supply, then release that stored energy back during peak grid demands.
Additionally, the wind farm being built on site will consist of eight 4.2 MW turbines offering the ability to directly power the Pump Storage Hydropower plant with 100% renewables. Extreme E is also promoting sustainability beyond its race it Scotland. Per the release:
Extreme E will also embark on a community led project of its own, as part of its Legacy Program, to implement a multi-stage project, focused on mitigating climate change effects on local salmon stocks. From the impactful re-planting of over a thousand trees, to using innovative technologies to monitor the habitat, Extreme E will focus on a long-term transformation of the River Nith area that will protect the salmon stocks so important to local industries.
Extreme E’s Hydro X Prix will take place in Scotland May 13-14. Here’s some drone footage of the former mining site to give you an idea of what the driving teams will have to endure.
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Founded in 1689, Husqvarna was a musket maker for the king of Sweden – but now, the company best known for quirky motorcycles and commercial riding mowers is becoming an innovator in the field of robotics, and its latest fleet of electric autonomous mowers are eager to get grazing.
Husqvarna’s autonomous lawnmowers made history earlier this year at the AIG Women’s Open, when they became the first autonomous groundskeeping solution to see duty during a UK Major golf week.
“At the AIG Women’s Open, the Husqvarna portfolio is helping us deliver this goal through improved resource management, regular lightweight mowing and reduced carbon usage,” explains Royal Porthcawl’s Course Manager, Ian Kinley, who has championed the use of robotic technology at the course. “With the AIG Women’s Open set to be the largest-ever women’s sporting event in Wales, we know there’s tremendous pressure to produce playing surfaces that are worthy of such a high-profile event.”
Events like the AIG Women’s Open are proving that the little robot Huskies can get the job done quietly, sustainably, and with significantly less operator input. As such, you’d think everyone at Husqvarna would be excited about them.
You’d be wrong. The company’s franchise dealers have been hesitant to push them forward, effectively putting the parent company in the position of going B2C, or going home.
“Dealers live and breathe the previous technology,” said Yvette Henshall-Bell, Husqvarna’s President of its Forest and Garden division for Europe, in that same Forbes piece. “They want to protect that servicing, that aftermarket revenue. Whereas if they really thought about what the customer’s problems are and the job to be done, they would be looking at a completely different solution.”
A solution, frankly, that looks a lot like a little robot mower.
The bigger CEORA can handle up to 18 acres of ground twice each week, while the Automower, with its 80V battery and pinpoint precision EPOS (Exact Positioning Operating System) software, can handle another 2.5 acres. Both are fully electric, and can guide themselves back to their pens to recharge as needed.
Prices aren’t public, but the Husqvarna CEORA and Automowers are available as part of a custom lease package through Husqvarna Finance that will include access to the company’s customizable back end and ongoing support. Check with your local dealer for more.
Electrek’s Take
As a typically pro-union, pro-labor type of guy, I am hesitant to heap praise upon a robot taking away anyone’s job. That said, it does seem to be difficult for landscapers and construction crews to keep and find good labor at rates they can afford (and, let’s face it – the current Trump Administration isn’t going to be making that any easier). As such, if companies like Husqvarna and John Deere and Einride and others can build a demonstrably better mousetrap at a compelling price point … good for them. (?)
Let us know what you think in the comments.
SOURCES: Forbes, Golf Monthly; images by Husqvarna.
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Apple CarPlay possibly coming to Tesla cars, VW getting access to Superchargers, a Toyota electric pickup, and more.
As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.
After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:
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Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:
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2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 at a Tesla Supercharger (Source: Hyundai)
US EV sales declined in October following the expiration of the $7,500 federal tax credit on September 30, and the average transaction price (ATP) edged up, according to initial estimates from Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive brand. However, there are still deals to be had.
Kelley Blue Book’s initial estimates show that US EV sales fell to 74,835 in October, down 48.9% from September, which was a record month, and 30.3% year-over-year.
Prices also ticked up. The average transaction price (ATP) for a new EV climbed 1.6% month-over-month to $59,125, which is 2.3% higher than a year ago.
Tesla didn’t escape the downturn, but it held up better than the overall EV market. The company’s ATP fell 1.1% from September to $53,526, and its prices are 5.5% lower than they were in October 2024. Sales of the Model 3 and Model Y both declined month-over-month, and overall Tesla sales decreased by 35.3% from September and 23.6% year-over-year, which are smaller declines compared to the broader EV segment.
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Cox Automotive senior analyst Stephanie Valdez Streaty said the shift wasn’t surprising:
We expected this shift in the electric vehicle market. With the IRA-backed sales incentives gone, lower-cost EV volume was hit hard, pushing the mix toward more luxury and driving October’s EV ATP to a 2025 high of $59,125 – now $9,359 above the industry average. Affordability has always been the core challenge with EV sales, and this reset only underscores how critical it is to bring more attainable EV options to market.
Electrek’s Take
September was a record-breaking month for both EV deals and sales. Dealers were offering all sorts of sweet incentives to stack with the federal tax credit to move cars off the lot. October’s sales drop was entirely anticipated, like a pounding headache after a big blowout party.
We didn’t know what the post-federal tax credit EV market would look like. As Valdez Streaty rightly states, EVs do have a higher ATP than the industry average. But it turns out that, so far, it’s not all doom and gloom, and the federal tax credit isn’t the only incentive in town.
Every month, I compile great EV lease deals, and for the last few months, some EVs’ monthly lease payments have been cheaper than before the federal tax credit expired. Many states are still offering rebates on EV purchases, and dealers still have really good deals. While cheaper models would definitely be welcome, there are good deals available right now.
And let’s not forget the fact that EVs are much cheaper to drive than gas cars, with or without that tax credit.
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