ETCR to Launch Electric Racing Series, Hydrogen used for Power
[Feb. 26, 2020]
It’s been two years since the ETCR electric racing series concept was launched at the Geneva International Motor Show, and now the series is back with another launch, this time under the name PURE ETCR and boasting actual race dates. Could this be the year?
At the 2018 Geneva show, Seat’s Cupra e-Racer was exhibited showcasing the essence of what ETCR would be, and based on the most recent announcements, many of those specs remain. The gist is this: electric powered four- and five-door touring cars will be powered by 800 volt, 65 kWh batteries supplying 400 hp of continuous power, with temporary bursts of up to 680 hp. The ETCR cars will be rear-wheel drive and utilize front struts and a rear double-wishbone suspension. The race cars will also run on treaded all-weather Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport tires, allowing for the race cars to use the same tires in both wet and dry conditions.
In the paddock, teams will utilize hydrogen generators to charge the race car batteries, with fans encouraged to watch the charging process.
The original Cupra e-Racer ETCR concept from 2018 showcased an advanced cockpit with a touchscreen and rear cameras.
While the chassis and body will be designed by the participating auto manufacturers, WSC Technology will supply spec motors, gearboxes, inverters, and battery packs, making this essentially a spec series, sort of like Formula E, but different.
The international racing series, which will be promoted by Eurosport Events, the same promoter behind the FIA WTCR race series, claims the ETCR series will launch this year. The opening season will be a snazzy five round jaunt around the globe, kicking off on July 24-26, 2020, alongside WTCR at Salzburgring in Austria, although the world will receive an ETCR preview when the series heads to the Goodwood Festival of Speed on July 9-12, 2020.
ETCR’s 2020 season will include stops in Denmark, South Korea, China, and the United States, where ETCR will likely appear as a support race to the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in January 2021. It’s also possible that while the race in Guangdong, China, is slated for November 2020, the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak might affect that. COVID-19 may also be why that round is still listed as “TBA.”
What also might affect the series is reality. Can enough ETCR race cars be built in time? The “final” version of the Cupra e-Racer was only announced last week, two years after its initial showing, and while the Alfa Romeo Giulia ETCR was announced in early December, that press release came with little more than a computer-generated image. Hyundai, on the other hand, actually tested its Veloster N ETCR race car in September, so it’s conceivable that Hyundai will be ready.
Hyundai’s ETCR Veloster N is under development.
What also makes us hesitant to say the series is a “go” for 2020 is that the ETCR website has been largely dormant for the last few years, only recently jumping back to life. Also, this promotional video doesn’t exactly inspire confidence:
Another ETCR video, however, reveals something curious:
According to PURE ETCR, the race cars will utilize a spec gearbox, yet while the Cupra used in the video seems to show paddles near the steering wheel, the driver never seems to use them. Our initial thought was that the gearbox could be a dual speed setup similar to the Porsche Taycan, with a short gear intended for the paddock, leaving the pits, or possibly during standing starts, but perhaps the gearbox is actually a single-speed system and the steering-wheel paddles are used for adjusting power re-gen on the fly. Or maybe the paddles access the additional 280 hp push-to-pass boost or smaller “fightback” power boost. Or maybe they don’t do anything. It’s all guesses at this point.
What we do know is that ETCR is slated to use a pretty unorthodox race structure that splits the race field into battling groups. Multiple “battles” later, racers will compete in the Grand Final, B Final, or C Final, depending on their performance during the previous “battles.” Drivers will receive points based on their performance throughout the battles and final.
Regardless, ETCR is an exciting all-electric race car concept that has the backing of the successful WTCR series and presumably the FIA, and we’re hopeful that PURE ETCR will make its July 2020 launch deadline.
2020-’21 PURE ETCR Race Schedule
July 9-12, 2020: Goodwood Festival of Speed, UK (time trial)
July 24-26, 2020: Salzburgring, Austria
Aug. 1-2, 2020: Copenhagen, Denmark
Oct. 16-18, 2020: Inje Speedium, South Korea
Nov. 2020 (TBA): Guangdong, China
Jan. 30-31, 2021: Rolex 24 Hours, Daytona, Fla.
(Images courtesy PURE ETCR)
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