Electric Vehicles

EV first: How a Tesla Model 3 won the Targa South West rally

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The Driven

A Tesla Model 3 has claimed the winning position – in what is thought to be a first for an electric vehicle – in the renowned Targa 130 category at the recent Targa South West rally race in Western Australia, against a lineup of fossil-fuelled contenders including a Porsche 911.

It’s not the first time an electric vehicle has proven its worth in the demanding rally series, (such as this 2011 Tesla Roadster), which winds through dirt and closed roads in a series of sections around the town of Pemberton to test the mettle of contestants.

But it is the first time a Tesla Model 3 has taken to the track, and its winning finish is testament to the Gemtek team behind the win, and a great example of how racing pushes the boundaries of performance and the unique challenges presented by electric vehicles.

The Gemtek Tesla Model 3 won the Targa 130, which is speed-limited to 130km/hr – by more than 4 minutes.

And it could have been an even bigger gap, Driven contributor and Targa spectator Rob Dean tells The Driven.

To read the full version of this story – and view the photo gallery – on RenewEconomy’s electric vehicle dedicated site, The Driven, click here…

RenewEconomy and its sister sites One Step Off The Grid and The Driven will continue to publish throughout the Covid-19 crisis, posting good news about technology and project development, and holding government, regulators and business to account. But as the conference market evaporates, and some advertisers pull in their budgets, readers can help by making a voluntary donation here to help ensure we can continue to offer the service free of charge and to as wide an audience as possible. Thankyou for your support.

Bridie Schmidt is lead reporter for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She specialises in writing about new technology, and has a keen interest in the role that zero emissions transport has to play in sustainability.

Bridie Schmidt

Bridie Schmidt is lead reporter for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She specialises in writing about new technology, and has a keen interest in the role that zero emissions transport has to play in sustainability.

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