The first all-electric rally car is undergoing testing and Opel is putting it through its paces with a comprehensive development programme....
The first all-electric rally car is undergoing testing and Opel is putting it through its paces with a comprehensive development programme. Two examples of the Corsa-e Rally for the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup are currently undergoing durability testing at the Dudenhofen Test Centre. The engineers at Opel Motorsport will turn to the speed of the 100kW (136 horsepower) electric rally car in the second phase of development. The engineers want to match the power output of the electric rally car with its predecessor, the petrol-engined Corsa. While the power output is almost the same, the 260Nm of torque is much higher than the ADAM Cup's. The centre of gravity is low, thanks to the underfloor-mounted battery, and the weight distribution is also very good, which is extremely important for an agile competition car.
As soon as development of the Corsa-e Rally has been completed, a reference car will be built that will also serve as the template for customer vehicles. Around 20 examples are expected to be built for the 2020/21 season, up to 15 will be delivered to customer teams in time for the first test event in July 2020.
Jorg Schrott, Opel Motorsport Director, said, "Other focuses are on loads and temperature management of the battery under rally conditions, as well as adapting the software. I am pleased to report that our programme is going smoothly."
The Corsa-e Rally has the same battery as the production car. The 50kWh energy storage capacity enables a range of 337 km. In order to optimise the range for rallying, the battery offers three modes: in competition mode, full power and maximum torque are available. Electric cars have especially high torque, so the rain mode gives a torque curve adapted to slippery surfaces. And finally, there's the energy-saving eco mode between stages and for driving to service.
We wait to know more about the very first all-electric rally car and of course how it performs on the rally circuit.
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