After completing ten stages at the 38th Dakar Rally, as well as each and every one of its more than 700 way points, the ACCIONA 100% EcoPowered bids farewell to the toughest test in the world.
The ACCIONA was disqualified from the race yesterday due to a delay at the starting line of the special phase of the tenth stage. This delay was due to a necessary battery recharge following the epic Fiambalá stage, and to ensure the pilots' recovery after tremendous wear the night before.
We are going home sad for not having completed the thirteen stages in their entirety, but we are also proud to have once again left an indelible mark with the only electric car to compete in the Dakar Rally. Ariel Jatón and Gastón Scazzuso, pilot and co-pilot, are exhausted but also more than satisfied with the results obtained, and for having completed more than 80% of the race. Their work has been exceptional, and from ACCIONA we would like to thank them once again for agreeing to pilot the EcoPowered. Of course, we would also like to extend our gratitude to the entire team of more than 20 individuals including engineers, mechanics, logistics managers, and drivers, who have made this feat possible.
Finally, we would like to thank the thousands of followers that have shown their support and given us energy during the competition. We knew it was possible and, although we fell just short, we have shown that you can compete at the highest level of motorsport's most demanding competition without emitting a single drop of CO2 or using fossil fuels.
We are sure that in the very near future, the automobile industry will echo our initiative, adding more 100% electric vehicle participants on the road to the future that we have pioneered.
The @ACCIONADakar makes history at the Dakar Rally #ACCIONADakar https://t.co/lftD3dhDLn pic.twitter.com/jkiG3ewxbs
— ACCIONA (English) (@ACCIONA_EN) enero 15, 2016