Opel Ampera-e Places Third, Ninth at North European E-Mobile Rally
When you think of the all-electric Opel Ampera-e, you are liable to think of any number of positive qualities: chiefly fuel efficiency, but also the versatility of a subcompact crossover and a surprisingly stylish look. You may not look at the Ampera-e and immediately think of rallying, but you would be wrong to underestimate it in that respect.
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The Opel Ampera-e this past spring took part in the i-Mobility Rallye in southern Germany, and it participated in the 8th North European E-Mobile Rally this past June, finishing 3rd and 9th in the “touristic category.” The two Ampera-e covered 270 kilometers between Schleswig-Holstein and Denmark both ways, or just over half of its full NEDC-estimated 520-kilometer electric driving range.
“It was the first time that I got to drive the Ampera-e and I was absolutely thrilled,” said actor Benjamin Sadler, who was behind the wheel of one of the two vehicles. “We could have easily completed the course without recharging and that really won me over.”
The race got underway on Saturday, June 24th, at Enge Sande’s GreenTEC campus, crossing into Schloss Schackenborg and onto the Port of Aabenraa on the Baltic Sea before heading back to Schleswig-Holstein and Flensburg. The final stages on that following Sunday ran from Flensburg, Goldelund, and Enge Sande.
The Opel Ampera-e is surprisingly capable with respects to rallying thanks to its 204-horsepower electric motor, which delivers 265 lb-ft of on-demand torque.
The Opel- Ampera-e will be back in rally action this month, participating in the upcoming Silvretta E-Auto Rallye as part of the Silvretta Classic in Austria.
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