The Dakar Rally is an annual off-road endurance rally race held in South America. It is widely considered to be one of the most difficult endurance rallies in the world; just finishing the race is considered an achievement in itself.
The Dakar Rally has run since 1979 and the latest race, held in January, was a historic one in that it was the first year that an all-electric vehicle has completed the gruelling track. Further proof that electric vehicles are up to the match of gas vehicles.
The car, named EcoPowered, was created by Spanish energy company Acciona. The company backed the project to prove "the capacity of clean energies as a competitive alternative to fossil fuels."
EcoPowered completed the 5,600 mile track that stretched across Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay in just over 82 hours and had to endure a series of tough terrains. Two stages of the course were cancelled and drivers had to take a different route as a result of the Rio Grande bursting its bank. Organisers described this year’s race as the toughest.
“This year’s Dakar was very tough, with some very intense stages complicated by the weather, and the altitude in Bolivia,” commented the car’s pilot, Ariel Jatón. “It was the most gruelling race in South America, so we are thrilled to have reached the finish line, particularly in an electric car.”
The now-historic vehicle was equipped with a range of features to help it get over the finish line:
To complete the track without emitting any carbon dioxide is a milestone for the whole EV industry. The accomplishment proves that EVs are a force that are competing with the best.
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