e-Pioneers
The ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe” represents a glimpse into an innovative motorsport future. The world's first electric one-make rally cup, which was held for the first time in 2021 with the Opel Corsa Rally Electric, is uncharted territory in every respect. With this pioneering achievement, Opel Motorsport is driving forward the electrification of rallying and thus combining Opel-typical sustainability and efficiency with high dynamics and emotionality.
At the same time, the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup continues the exemplary cooperation between Opel and ADAC in rallying. The development of the ADAC Opel Rally Cup, which was held between 2013 and 2018, into the most popular one-make rally cup in recent years, as well as five title wins in the European Junior Rally Championship by the ADAC Opel Rally Junior Team, are impressive proof of the success of this cooperation.
The Corsa Rally Electric is designed as the ideal platform for entry into rallying. The car has an electric motor with an output of 100 kW/136 hp and 260 Newton meters of torque from a standstill. While the electric motor, inverter and battery unit were taken from the production vehicle for cost reasons, the finest racing technology is used, especially in safety-relevant areas. Absolute performance equality is an elementary component of the concept, which aims not least to provide young rally drivers with a perfect introduction to professional rallying.
The rally cars are charged using an equally innovative system from service partner eLoaded. The electricity is taken from the public medium-voltage grid, to which numerous access points have been set up throughout Germany, at around 20,000 volts and converted into 1,000 volts direct current (DC) in a separate transformer, which is then passed on to the individual charging points in the service park. There, all rally vehicles can be charged with theoretically up to 140 kilowatts DC. This enables simultaneous charging and work on the vehicle. In less than 25 minutes, the batteries are filled and ready for the next special stage.
An important part of the concept is comprehensive promotion of young talent. The best talents in the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup have the chance to enter the new Opel Corsa Rally4 and advance to the European Junior Rally Championship (JERC) – just as the first champion of an electric rally one-make cup, Laurent Pellier from France, demonstrated with his impressive European Championship title win in 2022. This season, last year's Cup champion Timo Schulz will try to follow in his predecessor's footsteps.
DER ADAC OPEL ELECTRIC RALLY CUP 2024
After a very successful 2022 rally season for Opel, preparations for the third season of the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe” are already in full swing. The schedule of the first and to date only electric rally one-make cup worldwide has been upgraded again for the upcoming season. Instead of seven, as in the first two years, the 100 kW/136 hp Opel Corsa Rally Electric 2023 will complete eight top-class rally events in four countries.
The ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup continues to be based on the German Rally Championship (DRM). The nippy electric cars will start the season at the ADAC Rallye Sulingen at the beginning of May and will also compete at the ADAC Saarland-Pfalz Rally around St. Wendel and at the ADAC Rallye Stemweder Berg in the Lübbecke area.
After the successful debuts of the past season, the customer sports racers from Rüsselsheim will again electrify the attractive rally events in Weiz (Austria) and Morzine at the foot of Mont Blanc (France) in the coming year. The ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup will also celebrate two exciting premieres at the Rallye du Chablais around Aigle in western Switzerland and the Rallye du Vosges Grand-Est near Gérardmer in the French Vosges Mountains.
Those responsible have saved the last of the numerous calendar highlights for the finale of the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup. When the top class of the FIA World Rally Championship causes a sensation on the asphalt tracks in the border triangle of Germany/Austria/Czech Republic from October 27 to 29 as part of the new Central European Rally, the Cup teams with their battery-electric Corsa Rally Electric will also pitch their tents in the service park in Passau and demonstrate the fascinating dynamics and innovative power of electric rallying in front of a large international crowd.
"After an all-round successful rally year in 2022, we are already looking forward to an exciting third season of the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup," says Opel Motorsport Director Jörg Schrott. "The awareness for the first electric rally one-make cup worldwide has grown very noticeably, as has the interest of organizers at home and abroad in staging a competition round. We're very pleased about that because Opel is proving that electric rallying works."
MOTORSPORTNEWS
International scouting of the WRC promoter to promote female rally drivers. Two drivers from the ADAC Opel Electric Cup among the top 3 at the scouting event in Poland. Claire Schönborn and Lyssia Baudet start in the Rally3 car at the Central European Rally.
Sixth round of the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe” at the Rallye Mont-Blanc. A puncture in the final stage costs German Christian Lemke victory. Guest driver Chavanne wins, championship leader Pröglhöf only fifth after problems.
Sixth round of ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe” at Rallye Mont Blanc Morzine. Frenchman Anthony Rott wants to cut deficit to table leader Luca Pröglhöf on home rally. ADAC Sports President Dr. Gerd Ennser and his son Fabian will drive a Corsa Rally Electric as VIP course car.
