OPTIMA Batteries Celebrates Success of Inaugural Electrified Off-Road Rally at King of the Hammers

MILWAUKEE – OPTIMA Batteries, a subsidiary of Clarios, recently celebrated the success of its first-ever electrified off-road vehicle event. The event, known as OPTIMA Unplugged, was held during the King of the Hammers race week in Johnson Valley and was open to all electric vehicles that are capable of off-road travel. The event was made possible with the support of partners DCE, Volta Power Systems and Autel Energy.

OPTIMA Unplugged was a poker-run style rally where participants were able to explore the beautiful and rugged terrain of Johnson Valley in their own electric vehicles. The 20-mile trail drive was designed to be an entry-level off-road adventure and did not require any vehicle modifications. However, all-wheel drive vehicles were a requirement for the rally. The event was professionally guided by skilled drivers Tanner Foust, Christopher Polvoorde, and Michael Weiss to enhance the experience for the electrified community.

OPTIMA Batteries Celebrates Success of Inaugural Electrified Off-Road Rally at King of the Hammers

“Our goal for this event was to bring together like-minded individuals and help the electrified community navigate the off-road world,” said Cam Douglass, Director of Marketing at OPTIMA Batteries. “We are grateful to our partners and participants for taking this important first step with us and are excited to see how the EV off-road community develops over the coming years.”

Clarios and Autel Energy also partnered to provide eight Level 2 fast chargers for all EVs and HEVs in need of charging throughout the King of the Hammers race week. “At Clarios, we are committed to the evolving future of transportation and the role EVs will play,” said Tom Downie, Vice President of Communications at Clarios. “Our partnership with Autel Energy to provide electric vehicle charging stations is a testament to our commitment and we are proud to play a role in bringing together the everyday EV owners and the extreme off-road racing world to promote responsible and sustainable practices in the off-road racing industry.”

In addition to the rally, attendees had the opportunity to ride with Dave Cole in the world’s first fully electric Ultra4 race car. The event also featured the OPTIMA Batteries Overland Rivian R1S and R1T with Power Stations trailers that were debuted at the 2022 SEMA Show, as well as a diverse group of electric-reliant vehicles such as the Jeep Wrangler 4xe, Ford Lightning, Tesla-swapped off-road vehicles, Tanner Foust’s off-road racing VW ID4, and many more.

OPTIMA Unplugged marked the first electrified vehicle event at King of the Hammers in Johnson Valley, California.

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