ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup makes German debut at Rallye Stemweder Berg with full-distance electric running
The world's first electric rally one-make cup arrives in Germany, where remote charging lets the Opel Mokka GSE Rally contest every special stage at Rallye Stemweder Berg on September 25-26.
- 3 points
- 19 points
- 13 teams
- 14 stages, 141.8 km
What Happened
The ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup reaches its halfway point at the ADAC Rallye Stemweder Berg, the fourth of seven rounds, and presents itself to German rally fans for the first time. For the first time in a round of the German Rally Championship, the up to 207 kW (281 hp) Opel Mokka GSE Rally will tackle all special stages. The Cup bills itself as the world's first electric rally one-make cup, with 13 teams from nine nations competing. 'Remote Charging' lets the electric cars recharge between two stages outside the service park, with charging cubes brought to where they are needed on battery-electric semitrailers, so both rally vehicles and towing vehicles operate locally emissions-free.
“With our innovative remote charging infrastructure and the new Opel Mokka GSE Rally, we are setting new standards in electric rallying. 207 kW, 345 Newton metres, this is performance at Rally4 level – and a message to the conventionally powered competition. It shows the massive progress we have made over the past five years.”
A side effect of the charging solution is that the electric Mokka GSE Rally appears in the overall standings of the ADAC Rallye Stemweder Berg, rather than only in its own classification as in the past. On the sporting side, Tom Dufour of France leads Ioan Lloyd of Wales by just three points, while Germany's Timo Schulz sits third, 19 points back, despite two victories this season — his retirement at the Rally Vosges Grand-Est in France cost him. With 35 points achievable per rally and four races to go, everything is still to play for.
Start of the rally; four stages must be completed before the vehicles enter parc fermé from around 21:18 CEST
The chase continues after the overnight break
Finish in Lübbecke after a long rally day
14special stages
The 14 special stages cover 141.8 kilometres around Lübbecke.
- 1. Tom Dufour (F) 88 points
- 2. Ioan Lloyd (GB) 85 points
- 3. Timo Schulz (D) 69 points
- 4. Dante Johansson (S) 51 points
- 5. Claire Schönborn (D) 47 points
- 6. Fabian Kamermans (NL) 35 points
At the ADAC Rallye Stemweder Berg, Timo Schulz and co-driver Maresa Lade will sit in a specially designed Mokka GSE Rally for the first time. Opel Germany and Opel Motorsport asked their social media community how they imagined the styling of the rally electric car; the result is a modern, colourful design that underlines the brand's German origin. Opel says the rally car is a close relative of the equally powerful Mokka GSE production model, as GSE stands for 'Grand Sport Electric' in both rallying and the production line, and essential components and insights from the rally car were incorporated into its production counterpart.
Previously from Opel Automobile GmbH
Opel has been rolling out its GSE performance branding across several fronts. The new Astra GSE Line, a trim that replaces the Astra's GS specification from spring 2027, debuts at the Paris Motor Show, where Opel will also show its GSE 27FE Formula E car in final racing design and give the new Corsa GSE an exhibition premiere, alongside a newly confirmed concept car. Earlier in September, Opel appeared as a premium partner at Europe's leading AI event in Berlin, where around 11,500 visitors saw its AI-driven marketing, electric models and the Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo concept car.
- Opel Astra GSE Line debuts at Paris Motor Show, replacing GS trim from spring 2027
- Opel to unveil new concept car at Paris Motor Show alongside GSE 27FE Formula E racer and Corsa GSE
- Opel named premium partner at Big Bang AI Festival 2026, showing AI marketing and electric cars
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Opel Automobile GmbH's official releases.
Why this matters
This is the first time an electric car runs the full distance of a German Rally Championship round, thanks to charging outside the service park — a test case for whether electric rallying can compete on equal terms. Rally fans in Germany see the Mokka GSE Rally in the overall standings for the first time, not just its own classification, while the production Mokka GSE shares components with the race car.
Terms in This Story
- one-make cup
- A racing series in which all competitors drive the same model of car, so results depend mainly on driver skill and setup rather than differing machinery.
- special stage
- A timed section of a rally run on closed roads, where crews race against the clock; the total rally result is the sum of stage times.
- parc fermé
- A secure, controlled area where rally cars are parked between stages or overnight so they cannot be worked on outside permitted service.
- WLTP
- Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicles Test Procedure, the standardised laboratory test used to measure a vehicle's energy consumption and CO2 emissions.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.