For much of his professional life, Ariel made headlines for his participation in the most talked about rallies in the world. But now, this outstanding pilot has become a benchmark in the promotion of electric mobility. 

In an interview with the AAVEA media in December 2020, Jatón spoke in an entertaining way about his beginnings in the rally world, and of course, one of the main topics was his perspective regarding zero emissions races. 

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With the phrase “Nobody can die without going through a Dakar”, Ariel began the interview, recalling that in the 1980s he began to feel love for racing, since it was a family tradition. “There was no pandemic,” joked the Argentine-born. 

After talking about his first experiences in creating off-road electric cars for the Acciona brand, Jatón spoke about the impact that the change of the automotive industry towards electric vehicles could cause in local workshops, referring to the mechanics that could be unemployed. 

“Something similar happened when we went from carburetors and points to electronics and injections. They said that the mechanics were not going to have more work and it turns out that they adapted. In the end they ended up repairing vehicles of both types. In addition, electric cars not only consist of the battery (motor), they also have a transmission, front end and brakes, as well as hundreds of sensors”.

In reference to Extreme E, the new series of off-road electric SUVs where Jatón participates in the test circuits, he commented that this is a much more competitive category than Dakar since “all cars were created by the same manufacturer and are the same, that will allow to appreciate in detail the skills of the drivers and the teams”. 

“The proposal is made as a show; there will be two groups of four vehicles each that will be eliminated step by step. It has a very interesting particular and that is that the teams must have a man and a woman as drivers,” the Acciona member added. 

When asked about the success of car races zero emissions that have emerged in recent years, Jatón argued: “All brands are producing their electric cars and stopping developing new combustion products.  What is being created of diesel vehicles is on the basis that already exists, this gives us an idea of the affinity people could have in the coming decades”. 

It is important to mention that Ariel Jatón, was at the wheel of the first electric vehicle that managed to finish a Dakar, hand in hand with an “Odyssey 21”, the flagship car of the Extreme E that allowed him to mark a milestone in the history of electric mobility. 

To read more about zero-emission racing and electric cars, follow us on Twitter and Instagram as @greenracingnews. 

Drafting: Osward Rubio

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