Opel to present electric rally car based on Corsa-e
Opel has announced the world premiere of a battery-powered rally car based on the Corsa-e for the IAA. Next year will see the start of the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup, the world’s first one-brand cup for electric vehicles, at least when it comes to rally.
After all, Jaguar is running its Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy on the sidelines of Formula E for some time. The Opel e-match cup, however, is to be staged from 2020 in cooperation with the German automobile association, ADAC and will replace the ADAC Opel Rally Cup, where the Opel Adam R2 previously raced. The new Cup will initially be part of the German Rally Championship and selected other events.
The new one-make or Spec race is scheduled to start next summer with at least eight classification runs to form a so-called “Super Season” by 2021. According to Opel, 15 electric vehicles are initially planned for the 2020/2021 season. The vehicle price at Opel Motorsport for customer teams is expected to be well below 50,000 euros (net).
Many points of the car have been modified for the rally use, but not the drive. Like the series model Corsa-e, the racing version is supposed to deliver 100 kW and provide the maximum torque of 260 Newton metres from a standing start. The battery remains at 50 kWh. On the other hand, things were changed such as the chassis, the brakes (including a control system adapted to the recuperation) and various safety measures such as a welded safety cage, underride protection for the drive and a fire extinguishing system.
“Using the production car as the basis, we are the first carmaker in the world to have developed an electric rally car,” says Opel boss Michael Lohscheller about the new one-brand cup and racing car. Hermann Tomczyk, President ADAC Sport, added, “I am certain that the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup will point the way ahead for motorsport far beyond the borders of Germany.”
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