After last year’s cancellations due to the after-effects of Storm Alex, the E-Rally Monte-Carlo is back for its fifth edition with its most challenging course yet.
The Principality’s 100% hydrogen and electric car rally, the E-Rally Monte Carlo, returns from 20th to 24thOctober with a 350-kilometre course divided into 15 “regularity specials” (SR) or steps, 55 teams and 110 participants.
In all, racers from 12 nations will be competing and 21 models of vehicles will be on display.
Though this is officially the fifth edition of the E-Rally, this race has been going on since 1995 when it was called the Monte-Carlo Rally of Electric Vehicles until 1999, then the Monte-Carlo Fuel Cell and Hybrids Rally from 2005 to 2006, the Monte-Carlo Rally of Alternative Energy Vehicles from 2007 to 2011, and the Rallye Monte-Carlo des Energies Nouvelles / Rallye Monte-Carlo ZENN from 2012 to 2015.
The latest incarnation is a result of regularising the event and making it parts of the E-Rallye de Regularité Cup of the FIA 2020.
The departure point will be in Châteauneuf, in the Loire department, on Wednesday 20th October. The city is credited with being the first municipal domain in France to be autonomous in green energy. This stage will consist of three SRs with an arrival in Valence.
There will then be four SRs within the city of Valence on the 21st.
The next stage on Friday 22nd has racers doing four monster stages from Valence to Monaco.
The final push takes place on Saturday 23rd October where the last four stages make a loop from Monaco, taking racers to four stopping points in the Var. The last step is a race back to the Principality to cross the finish line.
“By definition, the E-Rallies aim to promote new automotive technologies, designed to emit the lowest possible quantities of pollutants, fine particles and CO2,” says the Automobile Club of Monaco. “They also aim to encourage drivers to adopt eco-responsible driving, with priority being given to environmental protection and the transition of the transport sector, through the use of electricity as a source of energy to propel vehicles.”
Racers will benefit from 1,200 electric charging stations positioned along the route. Charging stations will also be provided in parks by EVBox, a partner of the race.