Motorsport’s world governing body is working to create Extreme H hydrogen off-road world championship.

The FIA and Extreme E have both signed a memorandum of understanding as they look to build the all-new competition.

Set to be known as Extreme H, it’s targeted to run for the first time in 2025 as an FIA Championship, gaining world championship status a year later.

That would see the competition stand alongside the likes of Formula 1, World Endurance Championship, Formula E, and World Rally Championship in terms of its prestige.

In addition, there are plans to transform Extreme E from an International Series to an FIA Championship.

“Establishing alongside the FIA a world-first hydrogen racing world championship will be a momentous milestone for Extreme E and the new Extreme H series,” said Alejandro Agag, founder and CEO of Extreme E.

“Eventual accreditation as an FIA Championship and then an FIA World Championship means we would be amongst the top tier of global motorsport categories, and Extreme H would be the first-ever world championship racing series of its kind.

“What started as a conversation many years ago about racing in extreme environments, showcasing the incredible performance and innovation of E-SUVs, has now demonstrated enormous growth and further pioneering technical advances as we move forward with the transition to hydrogen and Extreme H – a world-first.

“This announcement is a significant first step in the development of our championship and our ground-breaking transition to hydrogen-powered racing.

“Sport is the most powerful and effective platform to drive innovation and our commitment to delivering sustainable motorsport championships full of excitement and with a reduced carbon footprint are testament to that.”

Development of the Extreme H prototype has already begun with plans to launch it publicly later this year.