ŠKODA preps fully electric rally car to debut in July's Rallye Weiz in Austria
Škoda Motorsport has unveiled the lithium-ion powered ŠKODA RE-X1 Kreisel concept car. The rally beast was developed in conjunction with Kreisel Electric and Baumschlager Rallye, and is based on the successful ŠKODA Fabia Rally2 evo.
Škoda’s all-electric RE-X1 Kreisel concept car. Images: Škoda Motorsport
Škoda Motorsport has unveiled the lithium-ion powered Škoda RE-X1 Kreisel concept car. The rally beast was developed in conjunction with Kreisel Electric and Baumschlager Rallye, and is based on the successful ŠKODA Fabia Rally2 evo.
Škoda Motorsport developed the vehicle, and provides a bespoke chassis for the electric power unit which delivers 260 kW or power and 600 Nm of torque. That’s a lot more than the petrol Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo 1.6 litre turbo version which produces 214 kW and 425 Nm of torque. The lithium-ion battery pack has a 52.5 kWh capacity, powering an 860 volt electrical system.
“The concept car Škoda RE-X1 Kreisel is an exciting combination of traditional and future-orientated technology. We provided our best experience, based on developing already three generations of the rally-going Škoda Fabia,” comments Michal Hrabánek, Head of Škoda Motorsport. “The concept car offers all the setup possibilities of the latest generation Škoda Fabia Rally2 evo, but with a fully electric powertrain and I really believe rally fans will find such a combination truly interesting.”
The first chassis built by ŠKODA Motorsport is in asphalt spec. However, Baumschlager Rallye & Racing, the project’s partner for the testing program and future competition activities, has started to put the ŠKODA RE-X1 Kreisel through its paces on gravel as well. The car has undergone a successful homologation by the Austrian Motorsport Federation AMF (ÖAMTC), and is expected to debut in July’s Rallye Weiz as part of the Austrian Rally Championship.
We’ve seen electric rally cars before in the form of one-off specials such as New Zealand rally champion Haydon Paddon’s Hyundai Kona, and Ken Block’s electric Ford Fiesta ST special, but its great to see factory teams like ŠKODA getting in on the action. With the Extreme-E rallycross series kicking off this year, its only a matter of time until the WRC hosts fully electric entrants.
