BRP-ROTAX has presented the first electric power pack for racing karts - the Rotax THUNDeR - at the Red Bull ring Spielberg. Media representatives and invited guests experienced the Formula 3 driver Ferdinand Habsburg testing the power pack in a Sodi chassis up close.

"We are very proud of our first product with electric drive. Electromobility is an emerging technology in the entire racing industry and is now another component of our growing product portfolio. The Rotax THUNDeR Powerpack reflects our DNA: success and new breakthrough innovations for our markets," said Thomas Uhr, general manager of BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co KG and Vice President Powertrain BRP.

With the Rotax THUNDeR Powerpack, BRP-Rotax is the first step towards this new technology; developed for use on ordinary kart racetracks, easy to handle and with little maintenance. With its powerful electric drive, the Rotax THUNDeR is a premium-class kart drive combined with the latest high-performance lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of 2.5 kWh. This innovative electric kart powerpack does not shy away from a comparison with karts with combustion engines at a maximum power of 20 kW and 46 Nm. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds, with a top speed of 130 km/h. A racing series is planned - the Rotax E-MAX Challenge - to offer the ultimate racing experience to kart drivers.

The Rotax THUNDeR Powerpack is sold via the newly founded RIC TECH GmbH. RIC TECH is a joint venture of S.M.R.E. S.p.A., a leading company specializing in the development of high-tech solutions in the field of electric mobility, and BRP Rotax GmbH & Co. KG, the market leader in the development and production of drive systems for recreational vehicles. The Rotax THUNDeR Powerpack will be available in the second quarter of 2018.

"Following the signing of the joint venture in June this year, the introduction of the Rotax THUNDeR is the next step in our successful relationship," said Samuele Mazzini, CEO of SMRE "We have a common, ambitious goal: the foundation for electric karting in the real racing field lay."

Further information on the Rotax THUNDeR E-Kart Powerpack is available at www.racelikeneverbefore.com.