ŠKODA are developing a fully-electric rally car, the ŠKODA RE-X1 Kreisel. It’s a collaboration between ŠKODA Motorsport, ŠKODA Austria, battery technology solutions specialist Kreisel Electric and operational partner Baumschlager Rallye & Racing
The new zero-emissions rally car will be based on a ŠKODA Fabia Rally2 evo bodyshell. It will be powered by an 860-volt system delivering a peak power of 260kW.
The concept car has been approved by the Austrian Motorsport Federation AMF (ÖAMTC) ready for it to race. The ŠKODA RE-X1 Kreisel will be debuted in the Austrian Rally Championship planned for July this year.
Michal Hrabánek, head of ŠKODA Motorsport, said: “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.
“The concept car offers all the set-up 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 Kreisel Electric engineered e-motor delivers a peak power of 260 kW and a maximum torque of 600 Nm. In comparison, the ŠKODA Fabia Rally2 evo 1.6 litre turbo petrol engine produces 214 kW and 425 Nm of torque. This shows the impressive power and torque of electric powertrains.
Except for the drivetrain, the car is based on the well-known ŠKODA Fabia Rally2 evo rally car with some modifications. The suspension has been modified to implement the battery into the car. There was also a major modification of the bodyshell floor to house this.
It’s good to see a large car manufacturer creating electric cars for motorsport and helping to change the future. With such impressive power figures, it’s only going to add to the thrill of the sport, only with zero emissions.
Philipp Kreisel, Kreisel managing director, said: “We are very excited about the cooperation with ŠKODA Motorsport. Together we not only share the vision for the sustainable future of motorsports. We as well follow the same strategy of transferring technologies and engineering solutions from racing to road cars.”
Max Egger, CEO of ŠKODA Austria, said: “As a long-time partner of ŠKODA Motorsport in Austrian rallying, we are excited to be part of the innovative project.
“For us, it’s a matter of heart to help rallying enter a new era. After the very successful launch of the fully electric road car ŠKODA Enyaq iV this is the perfect next step on our way to e-mobility.”
