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eTouring Car World Cup

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FIA ETCR
eTouring Car World Cup
CategoryTouring cars
CountryInternational
Inaugural season2021
Folded2023
TeamsHyundai Motorsport N, Cupra EKS, Romeo Ferraris - M1RA
ConstructorsHyundai Motorsport, Cupra Racing, Alfa Romeo
Tyre suppliersGoodyear
Last Drivers' championFrance Adrien Tambay
Last Teams' championCupra EKS

FIA ETCR – eTouring Car World Cup (Pure ETCR during its first season) was a touring car series for electric cars. It was the first multi-brand all-electric touring car championship and in 2022 obtained the status of an official FIA series.[1] However, in March 2023, the promoter announced that the series would not be continued.[2]

History

2022 Round 4 six-car superfinal at Circuit Zolder

The electric touring car series was presented together with the CUPRA 'e-Racer' car ahead of the 2018 Geneva Motor Show by TCR promoter WSC Ltd.[3] In September 2019, Hyundai became the second manufacturer to commit to creating an ETCR car, the 'Veloster N ETCR',[4] and in December, the Italian team Romeo Ferraris announced that they will build an Alfa Romeo Giulia according to ETCR specifications.[5]

In February 2020, the series was rebranded as 'Pure ETCR' and a calendar of demonstration events for 2020 was presented.[6] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, development and testing was delayed by several months, making the original plan unfeasible. The series' official launch event eventually took place on 9 October in Copenhagen, where Hyundai Motorsport was officially announced as a competitor.[7] A demonstration of the starting gates and the Hyundai Veloster was held during the WTCR event at the MotorLand Aragón in Spain on 13 November 2020.[8] On the same weekend, Romeo Ferraris revealed their ETCR version of the Alfa Romeo Giulia.[9]

The calendar for the inaugural season was announced in February 2021. The first Pure ETCR started on 18–20 June at the Autodromo Vallelunga in Italy, and ended in October at Circuit Pau-Arnos. Swedish driver Mattias Ekström was crowned champion of the season, while Cupra won the manufacturer's championship.[10]

For the 2022 season, the series had FIA World Cup status and drivers and manufacturers competed for the FIA eTouring Car World Cup.[11]

In March 2023, the promoter announced that the series would not be continued, citing unresolvable differences among the various stakeholders concerning the sporting and regulatory format.[2]

Specifications

Cupra Racing team removing cooler

ETCR cars used spec powertrains supplied by the series organizers, with manufacturers using their own bodywork.[12][13] The common kit includes motors, gearbox, inverter, battery, ECU and cooling system; ETCR technical regulations require a single-speed rear-drive chassis with McPherson strut front suspension and double wishbone rear suspension.[14]

The car had four electric motors on the rear axle,[15] which deliver a maximum combined output of 300 kilowatts (410 PS; 400 hp) (continuous) and 500 kilowatts (680 PS; 670 hp) (peak, in the push-to-pass mode).[16][17] The electric drivetrain unit (EDU) is capable of electronic torque vectoring by varying the power to each rear wheel.[18] Inverter, motor, and gearbox are supplied by MAGELEC Propulsion.[19]

The battery, developed by Williams Advanced Engineering, had a capacity of 62 kWh, operating at a voltage of 798 V. According to Williams, it could be charged from 10% to 90% state of charge in one hour on a 60 kW charger.[20] Total range is 40 km (25 mi). It is centrally located on a subframe for better weight distribution, and accounts for nearly 1⁄3 of the total curb weight of 1,575 kg (3,472 lb), at 500 kg (1,100 lb).[21] Williams also supply the vehicle control modules.[22]

Race format

The ETCR race format was different from standard touring car races, but instead, similar to a rallycross format with several rounds of short races and an elimination process leading to a final. The individual races were called 'battles' and were started from an opening gate and last for only a few laps. Each driver had a ‘push-to-pass’ power boost and a smaller ‘fightback’ boost for trying to reclaim a position. Between the battles, cars returned to a central ‘energy station’ where they could be recharged.[23]

Champions

Season Driver Team Car
2021 Sweden Mattias Ekström Hungary Cupra X Zengő Motorsport Cupra e-Racer
2022 France Adrien Tambay Sweden Cupra EKS Cupra e-Racer

Teams and cars

Three cars had been developed and were competing in the two seasons of ETCR:

Make Model Developer
Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Giulia ETCR[5] Italy Romeo Ferraris
Cupra Cupra e-Racer[24] Spain Cupra Racing
Hyundai Hyundai Veloster N ETCR[4] South Korea Hyundai Motorsport

See also

References

  1. ^ "PURE ETCR charges into new era with switch to FIA ETCR - eTouring Car World Cup". fia.com. 2021-12-15.
  2. ^ a b "Following a series of discussions with various stakeholders, Discovery Sports Events announces it will not promote the ETCR, eTouring Car World Cup during 2023". ia-etcr.com. 25 March 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  3. ^ "WSC to launch electric E-TCR touring car series". TouringCars.Net. 2018-03-02.
  4. ^ a b "Hyundai Motorsport set to go electric". Hyundai. 2018-08-06.
  5. ^ a b "Romeo Ferraris announce Alfa Romeo Giulia ETCR project". touringcartimes.com. 2019-12-06.
  6. ^ "Pure ETCR Launched; Time Trial Event at Rolex 24 for 2021". sportscar365.com. 2020-02-19.
  7. ^ "Hyundai confirm PURE ETCR programme for 2021". touringcartimes.com. 2020-10-09.
  8. ^ "King of WTCR Michelisz in action as Beasts unleashed at World Premiere of spectacular PURE ETCR starting gate". fiawtcr.com. 2020-11-13. Archived from the original on 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  9. ^ "Romeo Ferraris reveals Alfa Romeo Giulia ETCR car". touringcartimes.com. 2020-11-14.
  10. ^ "Ekstrom crowned PURE ETCR champion as Vernay wins ultra-dramatic finale". autosport.com. 2021-10-17.
  11. ^ "PURE ETCR to upgrade to FIA eTouring Car World Cup from 2022". pure-etcr.com. 2021-04-30. Archived from the original on 2021-04-30. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  12. ^ "2022 FIA ETCR eTouring Car World Cup: Technical Regulations" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  13. ^ Dobie, Stephen (31 January 2020). "High Voltage: driving Hyundai's electric touring car". Top Gear. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  14. ^ "WSC unveils E TCR technical details" (Press release). TCR Series. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  15. ^ East, George (1 June 2021). "Pure ETCR Is Creating the World's Most Powerful Touring Car Championship". Jalopnik. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  16. ^ "ETCR to Utilize Spec Powertrains in Bespoke Car Designs". e-racing365.com. 2018-10-27.
  17. ^ "Power levels changed for Round 2 at MotorLand Aragón". Touring Car Times. 8 July 2021.
  18. ^ Spendlove, Tom (August 26, 2021). "PURE ETCR racing series to use MAGELEC drivetrains". Charged EVs. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  19. ^ "MAGELEC Propulsion confirmed as inverter, motor and gearbox supplier for ETCR". TouringCarTimes. October 7, 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  20. ^ "Williams completes work on ETCR battery pack in seven months". TouringCarTimes. March 6, 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  21. ^ Giunco, Trent (26 September 2021). "Pure ETCR is the EV race series you should be excited about". Which Car? Australia. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  22. ^ "Williams confirmed as battery and VCM supplier for ETCR". TouringCarTimes. May 2, 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  23. ^ "Inaugural PURE ETCR season revealed with rallycross-style elimination format". touringcartimes.com. 2020-02-19.
  24. ^ "SEAT Unveils Cupra e-Racer; E TCR Platform Launched".
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