BMW i3 Gets Dirty As Professional Rally Racer Runs It Through The Paces

Professional rally driver Rauno Aaltonen of Aaltonen Motor Sport took his BMW i3 away from the safety of asphalt roads and onto an off-road rally course to see how the i3 would hold up. He came away from the experience very impressed, stating that because of the instant torque the electric motor provides, the i3 handled like cars with 1,000 horsepower.

Those in the know are aware that electric cars pack tons of torque that’s available right from the get–go. That results in fast launch times from a dead stop, entertaining 0–60 videos and tons of fun for the driver … maybe too much fun. And that’s just driving around town. What I’m betting you didn’t know is that the same level of fun can be had when EVs are taken off road, as a new video reveals so well.

“I didn’t expect the i3 can be driven in drift so beautifully. But I knew of course that the electric motor has maximum torque at zero revs and this is vital to control the car in drift.”

While, admittedly, most EV drivers have no desire to head off road, it is fun to see enthusiasts exploring what the benefits of these new electric vehicles bring to their areas of expertise.

In a more professional sense, rally racing is looking to go electric. Red Bull Global Rallycross recently announced that it is introducing an all-electric series in 2018.

Spanish energy titan Acciona has years of expertise in electric rally vehicles, having brought its electric rally racer to the Dakar Rally for the last 2 years. Acciona will participate again in 2017 as the sole electric racer in the rally but that is sure to change over the next few years. The largest auto manufacturers in the world are finally jumping into the electric vehicle market with EVs that are competitive with internal combustion vehicles in 2018, and the years beyond only getting more exciting.

Check out the video below and let us know if you are interested in the prospect of electric rally racing … whether as a driver or just a spectator.