Emma Gilmour, McLaren Extreme E: Safety is priority

By Daniel Bland- October 3, 2022

Twitter?@DanielBlandBiz?GlobalFleet.com?-?FleetLatAm.com

A 20-year veteran of rally car racing, Emma Gilmour is the latest Extreme E driver for the McLaren racing team and the first woman to ever compete for the high-performance automotive company.

Being a New Zealander just like the company’s founder, racing champion and car designer?Bruce McLaren, Ms. Gilmour said that it was mind blowing when she got the call in 2021 to join the team as McLaren is a huge name in New Zealand.

As Global Fleet Editor, I was fortunate enough to meet up with Ms. Gilmour on the sidelines of the Merchants Fleet Summit in New Hampshire (USA) last week?and this is what I found out.

Is it more important to drive fast or safe?

Gilmour:?Safety is absolutely more important and a priority.?We wouldn’t drive so fast if we didn’t feel safe, and our cars certainly have a lot of safety features. We have roll cages, a safety seat, safety harness, helmets with neck protection, and even fire-proof underwear. So, like I said, we wouldn’t go so fast if we didn’t feel safe.

I love going fast, but racing is also about the journey. As an Extreme E driver, we drive in remote locations and in interesting places so it's really about the experiences you face.?

What’s the difference between racing an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle and an electric vehicle (EV)? View the full interview here...