Aberdovey rally driver Tom Cave will be the first person to compete on a UK multi-venue stage rally in a fully electric car as he competes in the Get Connected Rali Ceredigion this coming weekend.  

The Vauxhall Corsa-e will be driven by Aberdovey rally driver Cave who will be co-driven by Will Atkins. Built by Opel Motorsport to take part in the ADAC Opel e-rally Cup in Germany, the vehicle is currently owned by Myerscough College & University Centre in Preston, Lancashire, where a team of motorsport students maintain and prepare the car.  

Get Connected Rali Ceredigion is the first multi-venue stage rally in the UK to introduce a class exclusively for electric vehicles with the event actively promoting alternatively powered vehicles and showcasing options to decarbonise transport. With a focus on sustainability, the rally organisers are working with a range of national and local partners to increase awareness and promotion of environmentally responsible motorsport.   

The event’s association with Motorsport UK has also enabled the marshals Electric Vehicle Awareness Course to gather momentum.  

Speaking to the official event website, Cave commented, “Being a local event to me and one I enjoyed immensely when it was held three years ago, I was very much hoping to have the opportunity to take part again this year. 

“So, when organisers asked me to drive the Corsa-e and become the first person to compete on a UK stage rally in a 100% electric car, I was excited to take up the offer. I’ve driven all sorts of rally cars over the years, so it’s going to be very interesting to see how an EV performs against cars in a similar class using traditionally powered engines. It’s going to be a new experience and I’m looking forward to it.” 

Find out further information on Get Connected Rali Ceredigion – https://www.raliceredigion.co.uk/.  

Electric Vehicle Safety Reminder 

At Rali Ceredigion Tom Cave and Will Atkins will crew the fully electric Opel Corsa E, Car 50.  

There are additional safety considerations for this vehicle and the event has the equipment on each stage should an incident occur. 

Motorsport UK registered marshals have been encouraged to take the Electric Vehicle Awareness Course available on the Motorsport UK Learning Hub.  

All officials, marshals, participants, media and spectators should familiarise themselves with the Safety Indicators High-Voltage System. This document is HERE.  

Marshals, if the car stops at your location, you should only approach it if the green light is showing AND if you judge it safe to do so if it were a ‘normal’ rally car in the same situation.

The vehicle will not be doing the full event but will be visiting each stage at least once.