Extreme E: Nico Rosberg's team beats Lewis Hamilton's squad in Saudi Arabia

Modified all-electric motorcars battled it out across the sand dunes of the Saudi Arabian desert in the first ever Extreme E event over the Easter weekend.

And, it was two familiar names from the world of motor-racing who were facing off again, as teams belonging to former Formula One rivals and teammates Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton met in the grand final.

Rosberg's team X Racing driver, Johan Kristoffersson, a three-time World Rallycross champion, took the lead.

Before team-mate Molly Taylor took over in the driver's seat and comfortably held onto first place to secure the win.

Nico Rosberg described the victory as "awesome" and added: "We have worked together so well and specifically Molly and Johan, what phenomenal driving they have done all weekend. It has been such tough conditions and they have not put a foot wrong."

Lewis Hamilton's X44 team finished third.

The first Extreme E event was promoting sustainability.

The all-electric SUVs (sports utility vehicles) are tackling extreme courses in five remote locations around the world. The 'E' in 'Extreme E' stands for electric, which also means environmentally-friendly.

They aim is to bring attention to different areas that have all been heavily impacted by climate change.

One male and one female driver share the driving duties by taking one lap each with equal machinery - the battery-powered Odyssey 21 'SUV', which can move from 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds.

The drivers found it tough going in difficult sandy and rocky conditions.

The event saw three big crashes but thankfully nobody was hurt.

In a 'Shootout' race between the slowest teams from qualifying, poor visibility from dust kicked up by the cars meant Chip Ganassi Racing driver, Kyle Leduc, slammed into the back of Claudia Hurgten's ABT Cupra XE SUV.

Hurgten had also been involved in an accident on Saturday, when her car flipped over twice.

Veloce Racing's Stephane Sarrazin also flipped his car, after the front wheel got locked in the sand.

From the desert of Saudi Arabia the teams move to a big lake, Lac Rose in Senegal.

Round two, called Ocean X Prix, takes place at the end of May.

Conditions this time will involve sand, salt beds and gravel.

It's hoped the event will bring attention to issues such as rising sea levels and marine ecosystems.