Opel has become the first automobile manufacturer to offer a battery-electric vehicle for customer rally sport. The electric competition car is based on the Opel Corsa-e, which will make its world premiere at the IAA Frankfurt International Motor Show (September 12-22). In 2020, Opel and the ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club), which is the organiser for the German Rally Championship, will start the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup, the first rally brand cup for electric cars in the world.
In the past, the ADAC Opel Rallye Cup has been the perfect entry ticket to rallying for around 100 young drivers from 18 countries. The fastest also displayed their talents internationally in the ADAC Opel Junior Rallye team. Opel juniors won the European championship four times in succession (2015 to 2018) with the Opel ADAM R2. The new Opel Corsa-e will replace the ADAM on the rally stages. The new competition car produces 134bhp and develops 260Nm of torque from a standstill.
“The Corsa-e is the electric car for everyone, fully suited to everyday use, with attributes that equally apply to motor sport. Using the production car as the basis, we are the first carmaker in the world to have developed an electric rally car” said Michael Lohscheller, CEO, Opel.
Hermann Tomczyk, president, ADAC Sport, added, “I am certain that the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup will point the way ahead for motor sport far beyond the borders of Germany.”
Initially, the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup will take place during rounds of the Rallye Deutschland (German Rally Championship, scheduled to begin in summer 2020) and other selected events. At least ten qualifying rounds through 2021 will form a so-called ‘Super Season’. This concept will be continued and expanded into the top international echelon of the sport.
In the next step after graduating from the academy and the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup, the best young drivers will progress to the European Junior Rally Championship with the new Opel Corsa R2. Sister-brand Peugeot (from parent brand Groupe PSA) competes with powerful FIA R5 machines and Citroën even with world rally cars – excellent opportunities for rising to the highest level of international rally sport.