Cupra is embarking on the next stage of its electric journey as it joins in the Extreme E racing series as the main partner of the ABT Sportsline team.

The announcement, made at the opening of Europe's first Cupra Garage in Hamburg, Germany, makes Cupra the first automotive brand to join the electric SUV off-road competition. The opening also saw the unveiling of the striking electric SUV race showcar.

Extreme E is planned to start in early 2021 and is set to travel across some of the world's most extreme and remote environments, chosen to raise awareness of climate change issues.

Cupra CEO Wayne Griffiths and Seat Executive Vice-President for Research and Development Dr. Werner Tietz unveiled the team's car, accompanied by Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E, and Hans-Jurgen Abt, Managing Partner of ABT Sportsline.

During the unveiling, it was also confirmed that Cupra e-ambassador, Rally Cross and DTM Champion, Mattias Ekstrom will be one of the team's drivers for the first season of Extreme E. The Extreme E series has a gender-equal sporting format, teams will field one male and one female driver.

Cupra decided to join forces with ABT Sportsline as the racing team's main partner, contributing to the lineup of engineers and drivers for this electric odyssey.