Pan-European rally – Electric Marathon 2019 supports the global ambitions

Pan-European rally – Electric Marathon 2019 supports the global ambitions of stepping up in the face of the threat posed by climate change.

On 27 May, six electric vehicles started the 4700-kilometer-long marathon-rally from Monte Carlo to Saint Petersburg. Among the competitors are teams from Estonia, Monaco, France, and the Czech Republic.

Initially established in the 1930s, the rally was revived in 2011 by two Olympians – Albert II, Prince of Monaco, and Jüri Tamm, Honorary Consul of Monaco in Estonia, with a decisive shift: only electric vehicles were allowed to participate. The idea was to raise awareness of modern electric vehicles in order to promote innovative and sustainable solutions against climate change.

This year’s marathon, which will pass through ten countries (Monaco–France–Italy–San Marino–Croatia–Hungary–Slovakia–Poland–Belarus–Russia) with stops in 29 cities, was kicked off at the Chapiteau de l’Espace Fontvieille in Monaco and will end on 6 June with an award ceremony at the EXPOFORUM Convention and Exhibition Centre in St. Petersburg.

HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco mentioned at the start of the rally that although there will be winners, in the end, all participants will be richer by valuable experience.

Jüri Tamm: “I believe we have made good progress over the last year and that this year, we can achieve new goals and make it the longest and most attractive race yet. The participants of the Electric Marathon are volunteers and patriots, and I am proud and lucky to serve with them. Using sports as a unifying tool, we can unite and create solidarity among global citizens for climate action.”

Electric Marathon aims at demonstrating the consistency of tradition and building cooperation between countries, regions, and cities.