Wow – how hot it is in Munich on June 22, 2025! At breakfast, taken at 7 o’clock in the morning, the thermometer already shows 25 degrees Celsius. On this day, Opel is taking part in the ED 1000 electric rally. The aim of the exercise: to cover 1,000 kilometres in an electric car in a single day. And not on closed test tracks, but across Bavaria and Austria, on public roads. What sounds like a logistical nightmare becomes an electrifying challenge for our teams – and for the Opel Grandland Electric. But first things first…

The start: Full battery, big plans

7:45 a.m., Motorworld Munich: The Grandland Electric rolls quietly over the starting line, the battery is 98 per cent full. The air conditioning – of course – off! Behind the wheel, fully motivated and with his „recuperation foot“ activated, is Matthias Brügge, Head of New Mobility at AUTO BILD. The route is a double 500-kilometre loop in the shape of a horizontal figure-eight: first west via Innsbruck, then east via Salzburg – and back to Munich. The mission: to reach the destination as efficiently as possible with the 400-volt system of the Opel Grandland. Because in this class, it’s not just speed that counts, but above all consumption.

After only ten kilometres of motorway, it becomes clear that the planned route via the motorway would not end well with a major traffic jam on the recommended route. Bad for the nerves and consumption. Alternative: Leave the Autobahn and use country roads! At a moderate 85 km/h, consumption levels off at less than 12 kWh – a real coup. But in the mountains around Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the next challenge awaits: recuperate or roll? Pilot Brügge decides to sail. His insider tip, as he said. At least on gentle slopes. Here the gear is shifted to ‘N’ – freewheel, sail mode. Power consumption: zero. Speed: 105 km/h. This turns the Grandland into a speedy glider. And the kilometres fly by.

On steeper gradients, such as just behind the Austrian border on Zirler Berg, we naturally recuperate at a 16 percent gradient – and almost fully recharge the battery. Our new strategy works. And in the comfortable Grandland with the very good chassis tuning and ergonomic seats, it is always comfortable despite the heat and long driving time. Our colleagues in a Frontera Electric, with whom we keep in close contact, also make good progress. Opel is on course; we are in the ultimate power-saving mode.

Sweating for efficiency

Despite outside temperatures now at 36 degrees, the air conditioning system remains silent. Every rotation of the fan would increase consumption. Instead, windows are open a tiny bit, the sunroof stays closed – willpower instead of comfort. The reward: After 480 kilometres, the on-board computer shows a sensational 11.2 kWh per 100 kilometres during the lunch break. And there is still juice for 164 kilometres in the battery. Time to recharge? Not necessary for the time being! At least not the car. Our stomachs, however, do need topping up – after almost nine hours of driving at around 4:30 p.m. with a light ‘lunch snack’.

Technical data Opel Grandland

Maximum power: 213 hp
Battery capacity: 82.2 kWh
Range: 582 km (WLTP)
Combined consumption: 17.7 kWh/100 km (WLTP)

The magic limit:
662 kilometres on one battery charge

After 590 kilometres, at 7:30 p.m., we recharge the Grandland. With still 72 kilometres range remaining. That makes a virtual 662 kilometres total range. Our newly defined goal: to get to the very end with a 90 percent charge. So, on we go – nimbly at an average speed of 54 km/h through the Salzburger Land at night. And the strategy works out perfectly. At exactly 3:50 a.m., the ‘Grandland’ team returns to the starting point in Munich after a total time of 19 hours and 13 minutes with a remaining range of 151 kilometres.

Enthusiasm all along the line

But there is still something left to do: A last lap across the parking lot needs to be completed to really get exactly to 1,000 kilometres. Then finally: goal achieved. The rally organisers are amazed when the Grandland team returns in the dead of night, a little tired but still in a good mood – as the only car to cover exactly 1,000 kilometres. And with an average consumption of 11.4 kWh per 100 kilometres instead of 17.7 kWh (according to WLTP). This means: First place in the consumption rankings.

Result

The ED1000 is not a race in the classic sense – it is an endurance test for man and machine. And it is precisely in this endurance test that the Opel Grandland Electric impressively demonstrates what is already possible today: namely 1,000 kilometres in one day with just one charging stop and a consumption that far undercuts the official WLTP figures. What remains is not only a new benchmark for efficiency, but also the realisation that the range of an electric car is no longer an excuse. Provided you know how to get the maximum out of it.