PHOTO: JENS ÖKVIST TEXT: ANDERS WESTERGREN

THE CAR THAT ARRIVES at the wind farm one fine winter morning in February is a beta version of the “monster” to come. The vehicles and the wider project are the result of a collaboration between the rallycross team/car maker Olsberg MSE from Nynäshamn in Sweden and the Spanish electric vehicle designer QEV Technologies.

Out of a large covered trailer rolls an orange Ford Fiesta in full rally livery. But this is not actually a Ford Fiesta. This car has just borrowed the Fiesta’s lines. In fact, it is an entirely unique creation – the only one of its kind. Under the shell, for example, sits a tubular chassis, a specially developed 32 kWh battery and one motor up front and one at the back that together produce 335 bhp and up to 460 Nm.

And this is its maiden outing. Fitted with ice tyres, it heads off among 1101*’s turbines and pines. On its first ever journey.

ABOVE: The RX2e car takes the bend at full throttle in the Skogberget area of 1101* with Oliver Eriksson behind the wheel.

Heading the team that brought the electric car here is Kevin Eriksson from Olsberg MSE. Kevin is himself a leading rallycross driver who competes in the highest “Supercar” class at international level. And when he’s not competing, he works on developing rallycross and other extreme sports vehicles.

How did this project come about?

As a company, we were quick to spot the direction of travel in the automotive industry, so we have spent a couple of years preparing and beginning to develop electric rallycross cars. Electric technology is perfect for rallycross, as we run many short heats and can focus on generating as much torque and power as possible, compared with some other motorsports where the competitions are extremely protracted.

So what kind of car is this and how does it perform?

It’s a tubular framed rallycross car designed for electric car class RX2e, with a 32 kWh battery, specially developed by our partner in this project, QEV technologies. The motors, one at the front and one at the back, generate 250 kW (335 bhp) and up to 460 Nm of torque. The weight of the car and driver is fixed at 1290 kg and the weight distribution is exactly 50/50.

And is it true that a much more powerful model is in the pipeline?

Absolutely. Behind the scenes we’re also developing a big brother to this RX2e car, called the FC-1 X. This will boast as much as 1,000 hp and do 0-100 in about 1.5 seconds, a whole second faster than the fastest rallycross vehicle currently bearing the name Supercar.

This will be a “Rallycross 2.0 car” and I know that I and many others are looking forward to seeing it in action, and above all driving it! The idea is that the FC-1 X will make its debut appearance at the Nitro Rallycross 2022 in the USA.

How do you think electrification is going to change motorsport generally?

Electric cars are going to take over in the higher echelons of motorsport, as that’s the way the car manufacturers are moving. But it’s important not to forget all the other fun cars that can be found in Sweden and the rest of the world. Rally X Nordic, for example, has created a new class for 2021 called “Open 2WD” which, as the name suggests, is an almost totally open class solely for 2WD cars, everything from high-tech electric motors to roaring Wankel rotary engines, and more. I really love this concept, as it captures the best of both worlds.

AS THE BRIGHT WINTER SUN RISES, we visit various parts of 1101* where Kevin’s brother Oliver Eriksson is putting the electric rallycross car they have developed through its paces, tackling the roads and curves designed for HGVs carrying wind turbines. The ice tyres provide extremely good grip on the snow and ice-covered road surface.

After a period of intense driving, all 32 kWh in the battery have been used up. But everything worked according to plan. And so the journey of this and other successive Rx2e cars rolls on. As does electricity production at 1101*.