Opel has launched what it says is the first rally championship for electric cars, replacing its flagship junior series with the Opel e-Rally Cup for the Corsa-e, starting in 2020.
The ADAC Opel Rallye Cup – which uses the Adam model – has produced rally talents including WRC2 rally winner and Hyundai junior driver Jari Huttunen. Its prize historically is a subsidised drive in Opel's works team in the ERC junior category. Almost a hundred drivers have competed in the Rallye Cup.
Now Opel has replaced the Adam-based series with the e-Rally Cup, launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It will be part of select rounds of the German Rally Championship and a number of one-off events, like the previous ADAC Opel Rallye Cup, with a 'super season' starting in summer 2020 and running through '21. Opel is also re-launching the Opel Rallye Academy, which invites applicants and offers a select number the chance to compete in the Corsa-e Cup.
It is understood that the Corsa-e Cup winner will also be offered a subsidised drive in Opel's new Corsa R2 – to be introduced in 2021 – in the ERC, although that prize is yet to be confirmed.
“I am sure that the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup has a signal effect on motorsport far beyond the borders of Germany," ADAC sports president Hermann Tomczyk said. “The new car will have 260nm of torque, a 50kWh battery and a sequential gearbox and Opel claims it will cost under €50,000.”
