The popular Dakar Rally, hosted in South America, isn’t an easy race. It offers over 9000 kilometres of uneven roads, which show no mercy to participants, and dozens of petrol vehicles go head-to-head for the highest categorical ranking.
Considering how tough the event can be, everyone was shocked to hear that the Acciona EcoPowered race car completed the course while burning nothing but electricity.
Tests with the vehicle began in 2015. When the car couldn’t finish the race, it was tested again in 2016 to no avail. It seems 2017 was the lucky year, as the Acciona finally completed the rally, ranking higher than the quarter of gas-powered vehicles that tapped out early.
This year’s Acciona crew was prepared for the challenges ahead. Despite failing to place, the vehicle succeeded in becoming the first fully electric car to finish the Dakar Rally of the total 18,000.
Acciona’s homebase in Spain created the 100% EcoPowered vehicle as a giant step forward in renewable energy research and utilisation. Its 250 kW electric motor, 150 kWh lithium batteries and 100W fast-absorbing solar panels allow it to race for 200 km before a 60-minute recharge period. These characteristics make it the strongest electric car ever built.
Of course, the Acciona’s intense power is overkill for everyday life. But the creation of a consistent and functional electric automobile brings us one step closer to ridding of gas-powered cars for good.
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