The gold rush is on, and plucky pioneers are heading into the wild blue yonder in a race to strike it big. Car makers’ new obsession with electric vehicles (EVs) was always going to lead to this: a rush downstream towards gimlet-eyed motorsport entrepreneurs, ready to sift through the sediment and spot something sparkling. The age of electric racing is upon us, apparently. Well, at least it soon will be.
Of course, Formula E got there first, more than six years ago, even before some manufacturers had a clear understanding of which way the stream was running. And now, inevitably, others are panning in Alejandro Agag’s wake. Single-seaters are one thing but, as in traditional motorsport, there was always going to be a place for EV racing based around saloons, or perhaps more pertinently SUVs, which correspond more directly to the sale of road cars. The Formula E-supporting Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy one-make series may have already wilted, but in the past couple of weeks, the covers have come off not one but two new series that are vying to catch the zeitgeist.
First pure ETCR...
Pure ETCR was actually first announced back in February, but the pandemic enforced an unavoidable pause. Now a six-event schedule is on the cards for 2021, and a series that has already attracted Hyundai, Cupra and Alfa Romeo (through a customer team) will break cover in a demonstration event later this month in Italy. Promoted by Eurosport Events, an associate to the broadcaster of the same name that runs the TCR-based World Touring Car Cup, Pure ETCR looks a credible prospect.
The racing format seems to borrow inspiration from rallycross and the stadium-based Race of Champions head-to-head events that used to be held each winter. In other words, short, sharp races that put entertainment and spectacle first – and handily avoid the thorny problem of limited range. Let’s face it: EV endurance racing is still some way off. However, as Volkswagen has shown with its record-breaking ID R special, there’s nothing underwhelming about EV performance potential, and that’s the key hook for Pure ETCR. The series is promising continuous power of 400bhp and peak power of 670bhp, specifically through rear-wheel drive only, on bespoke Goodyear all-weather tyres. Sounds like a handful.
The batteries are coming from Williams Advanced Engineering, with a capacity of 65kWh at 800V and a charging time from 10-90% of less than an hour, taking on electricity from a hydrogen generator-fuelled ‘energy station’. Familiar names such as DTM and World Rallycross Champion Mattias Ekström and Spanish veteran Jordi Gené are committed already (via Cupra) and more car makers are expected to sign up. The promotional event on 14-15 November at the final round of the WTCR will tell more.
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