[1] It was first announced in August 2018, that Formula E would operate a new "Extreme E" electric SUV series, that would race through challenging locations and terrain such as the Himalayas and the Arctic regions, and was first presented to manufacturers as a spec-series with limited areas for open development, including motors and bodywork, although the base chassis would be a set specification, and the cars were to be silhouettes of roadgoing SUV models.

[2] On 1 February 2019, it was announced by the series that the cars would use technology developed for the Formula E Championship, with the specifications parts being the base chassis, battery, suspension, ECU and software, as well as an FE powertrain motor, with the last being optional.

The bodykit areas for manufacturers were also defined as the engine cover, side skirt, lights and front and rear bumpers.

[3] On July 5, 2019, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Extreme E took the covers off the car, revealing its name as the ODYSSEY 21, with a niobium-reinforced steel alloy tubular frame, a crash structure and roll cage, while tyres for both winter and summer conditions would be supplied by founding partner Continental.

During the weekend, the car also ran demonstration runs up the Goodwood hillclimb circuit, powered by the motor from the Spark-Renault SRT 01E.