An Australian-based company which counts four-time FIFA World Cup player Tim Cahill as sporting executive is set to enter the 2023 Extreme E season.

XE Sports Group will be the first team from the Asia-Pacific region to contest the electric offroad competition, in its upcoming, third season.

Being the ‘impact sports division’ of EVDirect.com, which is the distributor of BYD Passenger Vehicles within Australia and New Zealand, there will be synergies between the motorsport programme and the company’s road car business.

Cahill, whose first of five World Cup goals was also Australia’s very first, has been part of XE Sports Group since its inception.

“I’m really excited to be a part of this team,” he said.

“The combination of thrilling, competitive racing and leaving a lasting, positive impact makes the sport totally unique.

“We look to bringing a significant new audience to Extreme E from within the millions of football fans across the world.”

XE director Luke Todd remarked, “Since its inception, Extreme E has demonstrated to be a major drawcard for both extreme racing and climate awareness plus diversity, which aligns perfectly with the XE Sports Group’s focus of raising awareness of global climate and social challenges with the ability to make a real impact at the ground, local level.

He added, “XE Sports Group will be bringing our own climate science and legacy program to Extreme E to complement the existing Extreme E programme with XE Sports Group to roll out an Asia Pacific Foundation with the mission to reduce poverty and increase living standards through the adaption of technology such as second life lithium battery deployment combined with solar capture in remote or impoverished locations.

“Competitively, we are joining Extreme E to race and win. We will be delivering a world-class racing package and eagerly await to line up against the likes of the X44, Rosberg X Racing, and JBXE teams as well as the rest of the top-class field.

“Australians are renowned for overachieving in the sports arena, and we aim for nothing less in Extreme E. We will be racing for the planet and racing to win.”

Alejandro Agag, founder and CEO of Extreme E, said, “We extend a huge, warm welcome to Luke and the XE Group to Extreme E, and we can’t wait to see how the team performs in its racing debut.

“Not only that but it is a great to see the goals of the team so closely reflecting our own in terms of climate and community impact, and we are very excited about the possibilities we have together in these shared purposes.

“The grid is really filling up now and it’s great to have our first Asian Pacific team involved.”

Season 2 of Extreme E is in progress, and continues with the Island X Prix I in Italy’s Sardegna on July 6-7.