Photo: Cupra
Back in March, World Sporting Consulting Group (WSC), the founders of the short-lived TCR racing series, announced the creation of the ETCR, a spin-off of the racing series dedicated to four- or five-door production touring cars powered by electricity.
The new competition was rapidly backed by SEAT’s former performance brand Cupra, nowadays turned into a brand in its own right, which said it will be developing a special car for the series.
Using a Leon TCR Cup Racer as a base, Cupra took out the combustion engine and transmission and fitted in a battery pack and motors on the rear axle. And they did a pretty good job at it, as the car now develops 680 horsepower, a mind-boggling 330 hp more than the regular Leon TCR.
That’s enough to make the car capable of reaching 100 kph (62 mph) in under 3.2 seconds, despite it being 400 kg heavier than the car it is based on.
On Monday, the vehicle was presented on the road for the first time in Barcelona, in front of a live audience, after making its show debut in Geneva in March.
The ETCR competition is scheduled to kick off its first season in 2020. The cars that will enter must have a maximum battery capacity of 65 kWh, be rear-wheel driven with a single gear and have a maximum of 680 horsepower on tap.
“We are so proud to be front-runners who develop new experiences around global motorsport,” said in a statement Cupra director Jaime Puig.
“Electric races were something from the distant future, but we brought them closer. One of the main challenges of an electric car is to find a balance between power and range, but this is what makes it so exciting.”
It’s unclear so far whether carmakers are tweaking any cars other than the e-Racer for the series, but WSC says more details will be provided soon.
Using a Leon TCR Cup Racer as a base, Cupra took out the combustion engine and transmission and fitted in a battery pack and motors on the rear axle. And they did a pretty good job at it, as the car now develops 680 horsepower, a mind-boggling 330 hp more than the regular Leon TCR.
That’s enough to make the car capable of reaching 100 kph (62 mph) in under 3.2 seconds, despite it being 400 kg heavier than the car it is based on.
On Monday, the vehicle was presented on the road for the first time in Barcelona, in front of a live audience, after making its show debut in Geneva in March.
The ETCR competition is scheduled to kick off its first season in 2020. The cars that will enter must have a maximum battery capacity of 65 kWh, be rear-wheel driven with a single gear and have a maximum of 680 horsepower on tap.
“We are so proud to be front-runners who develop new experiences around global motorsport,” said in a statement Cupra director Jaime Puig.
“Electric races were something from the distant future, but we brought them closer. One of the main challenges of an electric car is to find a balance between power and range, but this is what makes it so exciting.”
It’s unclear so far whether carmakers are tweaking any cars other than the e-Racer for the series, but WSC says more details will be provided soon.
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