The Electric FIA RX2e already testing on site at Pite Havsbad, Sweden.
Trailer for the Electric FIA RX2e test for ROC Snow & Ice in Pite Havsbad, Sweden.
Link to the full video: www.raceofchampions.com/video-rx2e-clip
In partnership with QEV Technologies and Olsbergs MSE, ROC will put some of the world's best drivers behind the wheel of the brand new electric FIA RX2e Championship Car for flat-out, head-to-head competition. Generating 250kW (335bhp) of power and up to 510 Nm torque, the RX2e accelerates from 0-100km/h in less than 3.3 seconds—performance that promises to thrill drivers and fans alike. “From what we have seen during the first tests, this brand new electric rallycross car has very impressive overall performance, said ROC President Fredrik Johnsson. I’m confident that the many star drivers will love pushing the RX2e to its limits as they compete head-to-head to prove that they are the fastest at the first Race Of Champions on Snow & Ice!” Olsbergs MSE CEO, Andreas Eriksson added: "Rallycross is renowned for producing some of the most breathtaking action in the sport, and with this car’s eye-watering acceleration and ‘send-it-sideways’ style, I have no doubt that fans will enjoy every single moment.”
The RX2e has instant torque and power, lightning-quick acceleration, excellent balance and stability, and cutting-edge on-board features. Building it around a spaceframe chassis, the car's designers incorporated two independent powertrains alongside a 30kWh battery. “A tremendous amount of hard work has gone into getting the new FIA RX2e project off the ground," said CEO of QEV Technologies, Joan Orús. "To be added to the 2022 Race Of Champions really is something very special indeed. This is an event that brings together the very best racers in the world, and putting them on the ice will drag the vast majority right out of their comfort zone, so it will be fascinating to see. It will also be very interesting and useful to gauge their feedback about the RX2e car, which they will clearly need to master if they want to win.” Some of the top Swedish drivers that got the chance to drive the RX2e at the first ever test of the car on Snow & Ice and were all very impressed. “The driveability is the biggest thing, said Kevin Eriksson. 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.” Anton 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.”
New 105 Octane 100% Fossil free Bio-Fuel to power updated SuperCar Lites.
In addition, an updated version of the Supercar Lites rallycross car, a familiar fixture in the ROC line-up, will now be powered by a revolutionary 105 octane 100% fossil free fuel developed in partnership with Olsbergs MSE and P1 Performance Fuels. The powerplant takes the updated Supercar Lites from 0-100km/h in 3.85-4.10 seconds depending on the grip. For 30 years, ROC has provided drivers and global audiences a singular, winner-takes-all format that gives competitors from every discipline of racing the opportunity to test their talents against competitors they would never typically encounter. ROC racing is famously close and the pace of the sudden-death heats a favorite for live and broadcast audiences. Over the years, the event has been hosted by prestigious venues including Beijing's Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium; Paris’ Stade de France; and London’s iconic Wembley and Olympic Stadiums. "This move to snow and ice is meant to provide a fresh challenge for drivers and a unique spectacle for our audiences," said ROC President, Fredrik Johnsson. "We have changed the formula before, and it was time to innovate the format once again." As a key commitment for this next era, ROC's race equipment along with all event operations are striving for excellence in sustainability. The areas of focus include carbon reduction; waste management; and full community engagement with gender equality being paramount. "The cars were the first and the hardest elements to transform," Johnsson continued. "The equipment obviously plays a very important role at ROC, since the cars must be very high performance for these drivers, but also they must be completely equal to one another."
Scheduled for early 2022, the inaugural ROC Snow & Ice event will feature some of the best drivers from the most prestigious series around the world. Past rosters have included superstars from all of the premier leagues in global motorsports including Formula 1, Le Mans, Nascar, IndyCar, World Rally and Rallycross—legends like Michael Schumacher, Tom Kristensen, Sebastian Vettel, Sébastien Loeb, Petter Solberg, Mattias Ekström, Colin McRae, David Coulthard, Marcus Grönholm, and Jenson Button; along with other international stars like Nascar champions Jimmie Johnson, Kurt and Kyle Busch, and Jeff Gordon; Ryan Hunter-Reay and Josef Newgarden of IndyCar; Formula E Champion Lucas Di Grassi; Legendary Extreme sports star Travis Pastrana; and Indy 500 champs Helio Castroneves and Juan-Pablo Montoya.
Event organizers expect to host live attendance, but have a contingency plan to comply with any COVID restrictions that persist. Organizers and local officials will be providing updates through 2021 (visit raceofchampions.com) with regard to date, ticket sales and any restrictions affecting travel and local services due to COVID, as well as updates regarding any permitted live attendance and ticket sales.
Keep up with all the latest news at www.raceofchampions.com, Race Of Champions on Facebook and @raceofchampions on Twitter and Instagram. The official hashtag for the event is #ROCSweden.