Successful World Premiere of the SKODA KREISEL RE-X1
Baumschlager takes all-electric 3rd place (P3) at ORM Weiz
Weiz, 17th July 2021 – It was a premiere that was eagerly awaited and also attracted a lot of international attention – the first start of the Skoda Kreisel RE-X1 concept car and thus the first appearance of a fully electric rally car in direct comparison with vehicles with combustion engines. And in the end it was a premiere that could not have gone better and was even rewarded with third place (P3) in the overall standings of the Rally Weiz, the second round of the Austrian Rally Championship (ORM).
Accordingly, there is great satisfaction among all those involved, who have invested a lot of heart and soul and commitment in this forward-looking project over the past two years. Raimund Baumschlager, who maneuvered the RE-X1 through the 14 special stages in Styria with ease and without any technical problems, sums up his feelings after crossing the finish line: “I am totally happy”. Even the most difficult conditions, such as torrential rain at times, were unable to throw the RE-X1 off course on its brilliant premiere drive. “Everything really did fit. We never had any problems and also at the charging stations everything worked perfectly,” said Raimund Baumschlager, for whom the second premiere in Weiz also went absolutely as desired, as it was the first time that the record national champion was at the start together with co-driver Jürgen Heigl.
The interest of the rally fans in the Skoda Kreisel RE-X1 was also convincing. The car became a magnet for spectators in Styria and received positive feedback throughout. In the all-round successful performance, the result for record national champion Baumschlager is only the icing on the cake. “The rally was another test for us, this time under competitive conditions. We face the competition primarily to further develop the vehicle. The fact that third place came out of the first time is absolutely sensational, but it wasn’t the declared goal. But it also showed that the balance of performance, i.e. the regulations laid down by the AMF (Austrian Motorsport Federation), is absolutely right.”
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