The Chery Omoda E5 has just completed round eight of the Bridgestone FIA EcoRally Cup, which took place in Dundee, Scotland. While the event has “rally” in its name, it’s not the fast (and sometimes sketchy) motorsports you’d expect — instead of prioritising speed, EcoRally a competition for electric vehicles (EVs) aimed at celebrating intelligent driving, energy management, and teamwork.
The 2025 Bridgestone FIA EcoRally season will span 14 rounds across Europe and Asia, including countries like Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, China, Monaco, and of-course, the UK. Each round, participants received daily maps and road books to plan optimal routes, with self-recorded time controls and GPS-monitored “regularity stages” where drivers are required to maintain specific average speeds.
Penalty points are given for teams that reach a checkpoint too late, consuming too much energy, using the wrong navigation tools, and using non-approved aid or equipment. And at the end of the race, the team with the least amount of points win.
For round eight of the EcoRally Cup, the teams travelled across some of Scotland’s most challenging terrain in a 320-mile (515 km) route that began in Dundee, through Knockhill, and back to Dundee where it concluded, all in the span of two days.
ALSO READ: 2025 Chery Omoda 5 facelift debuts – now called Omoda C5, DCT, multi-link suspension
All vehicles were fitted with an FIA energy monitoring device to track driving performance. For the Chery Omoda E5, called simply the Omoda E5 in the UK, the carmaker said their teams were able to maximise their efficiency using Eco mode, which allowed for the regenerative braking system to recover up to 80% of energy during deceleration to maintain optimal battery levels throughout the rally.
This technology, combined with the vehicle’s intelligent energy management, ensured consistent performance across the demanding route.
READ MORE: 2024 Chery Omoda E5 launched in Malaysia, RM147k – BYD Atto 3 rival with 430km range
Here in Malaysia, the Chery Omoda E5 is equipped with a 61 kWh battery that delivers up to 430 km of WLTP range. It’s powered by a single front-mounted electric motor producing 204 hp and 340 Nm of torque. AC charging is supported at up to 9.9 kW, while DC fast charging peaks at 80 kW—allowing a 30% to 80% top-up in just 28 minutes.
The UK car used in the rally comes with nearly identical capabilities, with only slight differences in charging rates — up to 130 kW DC and 10.3 kW AC — but still charged the car from 30% to 80% in the same 28 minutes.
Omoda UK Country Director, Victor Zhang, said, “Range anxiety is now a phrase of the past. Events like EcoRally Scotland prove that EVs aren’t just suitable for everyday driving – they’re more than capable of tackling long-distance, efficiency-focused challenges. We’re proud to participate in grassroots events that introduce more people to sustainable mobility and demonstrate the real-world capabilities of our vehicles.”
GALLERY
