The Spanish multinational Acciona will participate for the third time in the Dakar Rally with the only electric competition vehicle that has managed to complete a scoring event on the international calendar of the International Federation of Motoring (FIA), the last Rally of Morocco.
The company specialized in infrastructure and renewable energy will once again bet on the 39th edition of the test for 100% EcoPowered, “the only vehicle in the competition that will not consume a single drop of fossil fuel”, according to the company.
“With this new journey in the mythical race,” adds the company’s note, “Acciona will once again demonstrate the capacity of clean energy as a competitive alternative to fossil fuels – each of the participants expects to consume about 25L / 100km- , and CO2 emissions that cause global warming.
The Acciona 100% EcoPowered “has demonstrated the efficiency and potential of renewable energies” in the last edition of the Rally of Morocco and will try in its third participation to finish the Dakar, which will be held in the first half of January on land in Paraguay. Bolivia and Argentina.
The experienced Argentine driver Ariel Jatón, who has participated in several Dakar races, will repeat at the wheel of the electric vehicle of the Spanish multinational, in whose improvements he has collaborated. His co-driver will be his compatriot Tito Rolón.
“This initiative by Acciona to provide visibility to the defense of the environment and the fight against climate change is in line with the recent entry into force of the agreement signed by 195 countries at the Paris Summit”, highlights the company.
“An improved version The Acciona 100% EcoPowered is the result of continuous research and development work since its conception in 2012 by the Acciona R + D + i Department”, adds the text, which recalls that it is the car electric with the most energy available in the world (250 kw).
This energy is equivalent to a 340 horsepower combustion engine «thanks to an innovative generation system consisting of a synchronous electric motor, a combination of six fast recharge battery modules (60 minutes) and a safety instrumentation power supply system using a high-performance solar panel with a nominal power of 100 Wh ”.
The vehicle developed by the Spanish company this year incorporates “some technical improvements that increase its reliability”, such as the design of a lighter chassis and batteries or a six-speed sequential gearbox, through the development of 4 × 4 traction.
In its first experience in the Dakar, the Acciona 100% EcoPowered was disqualified on the second day and in the 2016 edition it managed to complete ten stages and pass 718 control steps marked in a performance that greatly improved its debut in the test. EFE