Corsa-e Rally

New Opel Corsa-e Rally is Ready to Go

The Opel Corsa-e Rally is the first all-electric rally car from a carmaker. The Blitz-badged electric vehicles will next year take part in their own one-make series – the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup.

Four Corsa-e Rally cars from Opel Motorsport, in the hands of drivers Marijan Griebel, Horst Rotter and Opel racing legend, Volker Strycek, last week completed three days of testing at the Pferdsfeld Test Center. The 100kW (136hp) cars covered a total of 1,500 kilometres without problems. The Corsa-e Rally is based on the successful Opel Corsa-e, the winner of the 2020 Golden Steering Wheel.

Two complete rounds of the German Rally Championship (DRM) were rehearsed during the three-day test programme – including special stages, road sections and servicing. The unique features of electro-mobility, such as times spent driving and charging, temperature management of the battery and fine-tuning the software, were tested for the first time in a rally environment. The all-electric cars also completed long runs to test the durability of the new components.

“It was an efficient and successful test”, said Opel Motorsport Director, Jörg Schrott. “We gathered important data and information for the ongoing preparations for the 2021 Opel e-Rally Cup. Unfortunately, several test rallies with our development cars could not take place due to the Covid-19 pandemic. That made our rally simulation in Pferdsfeld even more important – as a result, the new Corsa-e Rally is now ready to go.”

The ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup will comprise eight qualifying rounds between spring and autumn 2021. An additional preparation rally for all registered teams is planned before the actual start of the season.

By SWVaux Staff, ago

Opel presents new Corsa-e Rally at German Rally Championship finale

Development of the Opel Corsa-e Rally has begun as planned.

The Corsa-e Rally powered by a 50 kWh battery is currently undergoing numerous endurance and performance tests at the Test Center in Dudenhofen to ensure that the 136hp Corsa-e Rally with 260 Nm of torque meets the high standards of the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup.

The debut of the world’s first rally brand cup for electric cars is scheduled for late summer 2020. The first Cup season will include at least eight events over the year into 2021, primarily within the framework of the German Rally Championship (DRM). The final schedule is planned to be announced at the Essen Motor Show (November 30 – December 8, 2019).

The Opel Corsa-e Rally will already be presented to participants and media representatives next weekend (October 18-19) at the 2019 DRM season finale, the ADAC 3-Städte Rallye around Freyung in Lower Bavaria. Presentation of the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup and the associated Opel and ADAC joint promotion concept is scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m. for the teams and at 2 p.m. for media representatives.

The electric racing car will be on display in the Freyung service area on both rally days. Opel Motorsport Director Jörg Schrott will be on site and available to answer any questions from interested parties and journalists.

“Until now the German rally scene was able to read about the Opel Corsa-e Rally and admire the vehicle for the first time at the official world premiere at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt – and now we are pleased to present our show car to the rally teams at the DRM season finale. Some potential participants, some of them from abroad, will travel to the ADAC 3-Städte Rallye specifically to see the vehicle and learn more about our forward-looking concept on site. We’re looking forward to the contact and interaction with the teams,“ says Jörg Schrott.

By SWVaux Staff, ago