The electric has also landed in rallies. The Adac Opel e-Rally Cup has established itself as the first single-make cup for electric rally cars in the world and continues to grow. For the second season, seven events saw teams from Germany, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Romania, Great Britain and the Netherlands compete for points, cups and prizes aboard identical Opel Corsa-e Rally technical point of view.
An Opel Corsa-e rally5 is coming
Knowledge of the Adac Opel e-Rally Cup single-make championship and the interest aroused has increased considerably compared to the 2021 season. Numerous teams from all over Europe want to participate in the championship and some organizers also want to organize an Adac Opel e-Rally Cup race. The Opel Corsa-e Rally also serves as a reference for a new electric Rally5 category, currently under development by the FIA, the world governing body of motor racing. This season it has been shown that already at present, the interest in the world of electric rally works: from the vehicle to the electric charging infrastructure and safety structures. Obviously this is a starting point that can be improved more and more over time.
Technical characteristics of the Opel Corsa-e rally
The Opel Corsa-e Rally has been optimized and improved in several details compared to that used in the first season: the newly developed multi-disc limited slip differential increases the traction of the 100 kW / 136 hp electric rally car and the new version of the software improves thermal management of the 50 kilowatt hour battery. In addition, the sound system has been modified to enhance the acoustic appeal of this electric rally car.
We remind you that the charging infrastructure of the Adac Opel and Rally Cup, developed in collaboration with Opel Motorsport, uses energy generated from renewable sources taken from the public electricity grid. The medium power current is sent to a transformer specifically adapted for the needs of the rally (“DCSource”), the so-called Power House. This avoids the presence of a cache and the maximum power of 2.0 megawatts is supplied to 18 charging points, one of which is located at the tent for the assistance of each car participating in the competition. Each charging point is capable of supplying the vehicle with up to 140 kilowatts (kW) of power, while the Opel Corsa-e Rally can charge up to 100 kW in direct current (DC). The rally car’s 50 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery recharges to 80 percent in approximately 30 minutes. Even during shorter stops, recharging for subsequent special stages is therefore not a problem.
Adac Opel e-Rally Cup 2023: already at work for next season
Eight races are planned for the Adac Opel e-Rally Cup 2023, of which at least four will take place outside of Germany, in other European countries. The calendar will be announced at the beginning of December at the latest at the Essen Motor Show.