For the first time in the event’s 33-year history, the 2022 Race of Champions is to be held in Pite Havsbad, Sweden, where competitors will use a circuit built on a frozen section of the Baltic Sea. Notably, the RX2e electric rallycross car is the first fully electric vehicle to be added to the list of vehicles competing at next year’s multi-discipline event. EVs first featured in 2010; for 2022, the race aims to be a carbon-neutral and fully sustainable event.
Fredrik Johnsson, president and co-founder of Race of Champions, explained, “We are very happy to announce the stunning FIA RX2e car as the first electric car among the vehicles for the Race of Champions Snow and Ice event at Pite Havsbad in Sweden, and we look forward to building a mutually successful long-term partnership together. From what we have seen during the first tests, this brand-new electric rallycross car has very impressive torque and overall performance. I’m confident that the RX2e car will be a spectacular addition to the event.”
Developed by Olsbergs MSE and QEV Technologies, and built around a spaceframe chassis, the RX2e features a four-wheel-drive system that incorporates two separate powertrains teamed with a 30kWh battery that helps the motors produce 250kW (335ps) and a peak torque of 510Nm.
A multitude of previous entrants and motorsport professionals have been won over by the instantaneous torque and power provided by the EV. Johan Kristoffersson, a previous winner of the Race of Champions, test drove the RX2e and commented that the car was “impressive”, “a real step in the right direction” and “a great springboard to world championship level”.
Kevin Eriksson, a World RX race winner, and Anton Marklund, a multiple podium finisher, also praised the handling and performance characteristics of the vehicle after driving it during a test event.
“This was a completely new world for me, and I didn’t really know what to expect. I had never been in an electric race car before and had only been in an electric road car once but I have to say, the RX2e car lived up to all my expectations and then some. The driveability is the biggest thing. In a supercar, although you have a lot of power, you can find yourself in the wrong gear sometimes or the revs might be too low, which causes a slight delay, but in this car, the torque and power are always right there. That was the major surprise for me. It was a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it again! commented Eriksson.
Marklund added, “It was my first time in a rallycross car with an electric powertrain, and my first impression was how easy the RX2e car was to drive, which was a very positive surprise. It handles very nicely, and I didn’t miss the gearbox at all – the electric motors give you the power you need from low revs to high revs, and you can really exploit that. Overall, it was a real pleasure to drive and I’m already looking forward to having the opportunity to try it again.”
