The ACCIONA 100% EcoPowered car crossed the finish line of the last stage of the International Rally of Morocco on beaches of Agadir. It is the first time that a 100% electric-powered zero emission vehicle has not only participated in an international FIA rally race counting towards the World Championship, but has also been the first to the finish line.
Five stages, temperatures above 40 degrees and more than 2,200km on all types of extreme terrain in the Moroccan dessert have not been an obstacle for the ACCIONA 100% EcoPowered car, which has successfully completed this challenging race.
Before the last stage set off, the vehicle was in 19th position in the overall ranking of the Open category, which includes trucks and cars. Of the 79 cars registered in this category, 38 are predicted to finish the race today, and, therefore, the estimated drop-out rate is 50%.
For Ariel Jatón, the driver of the electric-powered car, it is not just a matter of a sporting success but also the fact that it encompasses and exemplifies the team’s commitment to the environment. He says, «Throughout the years of electric car development, many believed that it was an impossible challenge and it would never be feasible in a top-level competition, but today we’ve proofed them that you can; you compete at the highest level in world of car sport without having an effect on environment».
In the word of Pío Cabanillas, ACCIONA’s Chief Global Brand and Marketing Officer and leading manager of the project, «being a pioneer is in the company’s DNA, and it reflects our firm determination to show that clean energy can be a competitor in all areas.
Clean energy systems
- A combination of a highly synchronous electric engine equivalent to 300CV and which weighs only 80kg compared to its internal combustion counterparts which weigh 280kg.
- 7 lightweight high-performance battery packs with a 60-minute charging capacity.
- A system of high-efficiency solar panels integrated into the bodywork, to recharge the main power supply of the vehicle: electric components, navigation, lighting and communication systems.
- One of the main challenges of this project was to keep the right calculations and to develop the design of the battery and electric power system in order to guarantee high autonomy in all kinds of terrain, without becoming a handicap for the dynamic behaviour of the car.
