Opel Wins German Motor Sport Federation 2023 Sustainability Award

• Jury recognizes the pioneering concept of the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe”
• Opel Corsa product manager Helen Walter accepts the trophy

Huge honour for Opel Automobile GmbH: An expert jury from the German Motor Sport Federation (DMSB) has presented the Rüsselsheim-based brand with the 2023 DMSB Sustainability Award. In doing so, the highest German motorsport authority has recognised the pioneering concept of the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe”, which is held with the near-production battery-electric Opel Corsa Rally Electric. Corsa product manager Helen Walter accepted the honorary award worth €10,000 on behalf of the company.

“We are delighted by this award and proud of this pioneering project in electric motorsport,” said Opel Vice President Marketing Rebecca Reinermann. “Together with our long-standing partner ADAC, we have been running the world’s only electric one-make rally cup for three years. The near-series concept of the rally car allows us to demonstrate the performance of our models, especially the Opel Corsa Electric, and emphasise that electromobility can not only be sustainable, but also dynamic and simply fun. This is also shown by the commitment of the diverse and international teams. Rally is a customer sport and, like Opel, very approachable. The DMSB Sustainability Award is proof of the consistency of our motorsport programme.”

“The jury and the DMSB executive committee agree that Opel Automobile GmbH has implemented an unprecedented project with the courage and pioneering spirit to develop the Corsa Rally Electric and the associated infrastructure. For motorsport, the concept is not only valuable from a technical point of view, but also one of the paths to future-oriented rally sport. The jury recognises the innovative character of the project and the proof that electric motorsport is already feasible today,” said Dr.-Ing. Karl-Friedrich Ziegahn, DMSB presidential representative for environmental issues.

The ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe” will enter its fourth season in 2024. Last season, teams from seven nations demonstrated the strong performance and outstanding reliability of the 100 kW/136 hp Corsa Rally Electric, which has a torque of 260 Nm, at eight races in Germany, Austria, France and Switzerland. The electric motor, battery, inverter, and onboard charger come from the production vehicle, which also reduces costs for the private teams.

During the events, the cars are charged with green electricity from a completely sustainable charging infrastructure. This is fed from the public medium-voltage network and distributes the electricity via its own transformer to up to 18 charging cubes in the service park. Each vehicle therefore has its own power source, which enables simultaneous charging and servicing of the rally cars. Thanks to this innovative solution, the fast electric vehicles from Rüsselsheim drive locally emissions-free.

“With the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup, we have been proving for three years that the pioneering concept of being the first manufacturer in the world to offer an electric one-make cup works,” said Opel Motorsport boss Jörg Schrott. “Our Corsa Rally Electric are reliable and fast, on the most demanding rally tracks in Europe. We are looking forward to the 2024 season, when the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup will become even more international.”