Rafael de Mestre

Rafael de Mestre (born on February 1, 1963, in Manresa) is an experienced IT consultant and electric car pioneer. He has achieved the impressive feat of traveling around the world twice in an electric car.

In 2011, Rafael de Mestre took part in a rally "Tesla goes east", 10,000 km through Europe from Sweden to Romania, to the Black Sea with his Tesla Roadster.

He has won the following competitions:


 * 2011: "Tesla goes east": 10,000 km through Europe from Sweden to Romania to the Black Sea
 * 2014: Winner of the Swiss Energy Grand Prix
 * 2015: Winner of the eTourEurope
 * 2017: EV Trophy Winner

De Mestre organized nine international electric car races that took place in 2019 as well as the world's first 24-hour electric car race in 2018, the Eco Grand Prix. The 2023 season marks the 10th anniversary of the ecoGP series and he has planned electric car races in France, Romania and Germany.

Round-the-world trips
In 2012, de Mestre traveled around the world for the first time in his Tesla Roadster and won against a French team. In 2016 he drove around the world in 80 days.

On June 16, 2016, he made a second trip around the world which began at the Arc de Triomf in Barcelona and ended on September 4, 2016, with his Tesla Model S. In this endeavor he was joined by 11 international teams. The race is designed to promote the role of electric cars globally as a sustainable means of transportation around the world in all types of terrain and climates.

The race is also aimed at fostering innovation and development of EV technology to increase the distances that electric cars can cover without needing to stop for charging.

He is planning the next round-the-world trip for 2024. To promote this world record-breaking trip around the world (40,000 km in 80 days), he has sent his Tesla Roadster, with which he drove around the globe in 2012, across the Atlantic by sailing ship on September 6, 2022.