London, 30 July 2025 – OMODA UK has taken on a fresh challenge with the highly capable OMODA E5, successfully completing round eight of the Bridgestone FIA ecoRally Cup. The event, which began in Dundee and spanned 320 miles of Scotland’s most scenic and demanding roads, saw two OMODA E5s rise to the occasion – demonstrating impressive real-world efficiency and all-round performance throughout the rally.

Now in its third year, ecoRally Scotland is organised by the Scottish Motor Club (SMC) as part of Round eight of the 2025 Bridgestone FIA ecoRally Cup; the world’s leading energy efficiency and motorsport championship. Unlike traditional rallies that prioritise speed, this event celebrates intelligent driving, energy management, and teamwork, with teams of two per vehicle.

The OMODA E5, featuring a 61 kWh battery and WLTP-estimated range of 257 miles, delivered impressive performances throughout the two-day event. Participants received daily maps and road books to plan optimal routes, with self-recorded time controls and GPS-monitored ‘regularity stages’ requiring teams to maintain specific average speeds. The route consisted of the following key stops:

Day 1 – Saturday 26 July: Departing from Dundee, the route headed south through Clackmannanshire and Fife, with a checkpoint at Scotland’s National Motorsport Centre, Knockhill.

Day 2 – Sunday 27 July: Crews travelled north past Loch Tay, halting for a scenic lunch in Pitlochry, before returning to Dundee for the prizegiving ceremony.

All vehicles were fitted with an FIA energy monitoring device to track efficient driving performance. The OMODA E5 teams maximised their efficiency using Eco mode, one of the three adaptive performance settings, alongside advanced driver assistance features including head-up display and EV navigation powered by HERE mapping systems.

The OMODA E5’s regenerative braking system proved particularly valuable, recovering 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.

Driver and passenger comfort remained exceptional throughout the challenge, with the OMODA E5’s sports front seats featuring heating and cooling, dual-zone climate control system and a SONY sound system providing high-quality driving tunes between regularities.

With DC fast charging capabilities up to 130 kW and AC charging at 10.3 kW, the E5 can recharge from 30% to 80% in just 28 minutes, making it ideal for long-distance journeys and even competitive events like last weekend’s rally.

Victor Zhang, UK Country Director OMODA UK, commented: “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.”

OMODA’s participation, at the invitation of Motorsport UK, demonstrate the brand’s commitment to sustainable mobility, teamwork and industry experiences.

Prices for the OMODA E5 are £33,065 OTR* for the OMODA E5 Comfort and £34,565 OTR* for the OMODA E5 Noble. OMODA UK operates 75+ dealerships and offers a competitive 7-year/100,000-mile warranty (whichever comes first); plus 8-year warranty on the battery, alongside RAC Home Start, as standard.

* All prices quoted are correct at time of writing, July 2025.

Three works-supported Alpine A290 GTS models will showcase their competition-bred DNA when they compete in ecoRally Scotland, round eight of the 2025 Bridgestone FIA EcoRally Cup, on July 26/27.

The event is open to fully electric (EV) and hybrid vehicles (BEV), with teams of two, comprising a driver and navigator, tackling a road route starting out from Dundee before navigating on roads taking in the stunning scenery across the Tayside. 

Participants need to record all check points within the given times and complete ‘regularity tests’ that check average speed along the route, with points awarded for precision navigating, problem solving and teamwork across the day. 

The UK-backed works Alpine A290 GTS cars will be driven by Steven Berry and Ashleigh Morris, with Kaye Berry and Craig Parry navigating respectively. Steven is a freelance journalist from Kirkcaldy in Scotland, who works for Luxury Lifestyle Magazine, while Ashleigh is a Scottish rally driver who is currently competing in the 2025 BTRDA rally series.

The Alpine A290 was voted Best Fun EV in the 2025 Autocar Awards. In line with Alpine’s motorsport-bred DNA, the A290 is compact and agile, offering easy-to-use high performance while guaranteeing comfortable everyday use.  

With its cutting-edge design, first-class technical features, ultra-complete connectivity and numerous possibilities for personalising driving, the Alpine A290 is true to its maker’s competition-focused roots while embracing the electric era. 

A third works-backed Alpine A290 will be entered by ten-time French rally champion Emmanuel ‘Manu’ Guigou, who will be co-driven by Emilien Le Borgne. The French pairing hail from Montpellier and have a long association with Renault Group cars, having previously enjoyed success in the Alpine A110.

Nicola Burnside, Managing Director of Alpine UK, said: “Alpine was born as a competition brand focused on the attributes of lightness and agility, and ecoRally Scotland should be the perfect opportunity for our crews to enjoy the attributes of A290 while also showcasing just how efficient and fun electric motoring car be.”

Ian Smith, Technical Director, Motorsport UK, added: “We are excited to welcome Alpine to Eco Rally Scotland, taking part in the Bridgestone FIA Eco Rally Cup.

“Alpine has such a rich motorsport heritage and an association with Scotland, with a fleet of A110’s based at Scotland’s National Motorsport Centre at Knockhill, where the Eco Rally will undertake a key regularity section on the first day of the event.

“We look forward to Eco Rally Scotland becoming the foundation of the next phase of Alpine’s rallying history.”

The Alpine A290 is available from Alpine retailers now.