Skoda is celebrating 120 years of motorsport by introducing an electric rally car. Dubbed the RE-X1 Kreisel, the concept is based on the Fabia Rally2 evo and is a result of a collaboration between Skoda Motorsport, Skoda Austria, Kreisel Electric and Baumschlager Rallye & Racing.
As part of the project, Skoda updated a Fabia Rally2 evo to accommodate an electric powertrain from Kreisel. The company didn’t go into many specifics, but the RE-X1 Kreisel features a 52.5 kWh battery pack and an electric motor that produces 349 hp and 600 Nm of torque. This makes the concept more powerful than the standard rally car, which has a turbocharged 1.6-liter engine developing 287 hp and 425 Nm of torque.
In order to accommodate the electric powertrain, “major” modifications were required for the bodyshell floor as the lithium-ion battery pack needed to be mounted as low as possible. The car has also been equipped with a revised suspension and will be accompanied by a bespoke 200 kW charging station at rallies. While the car is technically a concept, it has been homologated by the Austrian Motorsport Federation AMF (ÖAMTC). This will enable it to compete in the Austrian Rally Championship later this month.
Skoda Motorsport boss Michal Hrabánek said the concept is an “exciting combination of traditional and future-orientated technology,” and noted the “car offers all the setup possibilities of the latest generation Skoda Fabia Rally2 evo, but with a fully electric powertrain and I really believe rally fans will find such a combination truly interesting.”
