FIA ETCR – eTouring Car World Cup

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 infeasible. 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]

From 2022 on, the series will obtain FIA World Cup status and drivers and manufacturers will compete for the FIA eTouring Car World Cup.[11]

ETCR cars use spec powertrains supplied by the series organizers, with manufacturers using their own car chassis and bodywork. The common kit includes motors, inverter, battery, ECU and cooling system. The car has two electric motors on the rear axle, which deliver a constant maximum output of 300 kilowatts (410 PS), and a peak 500 kilowatts (680 PS) in the push-to-pass mode.[12][13] The battery has a capacity of 65 kWh.

The ETCR race format is 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 are called 'battles' and are started from an opening gate and last for only a few laps. Each driver has a ‘push-to-pass’ power boost and a smaller ‘fightback’ boost for trying to reclaim a position. Between the battles, cars return to a central ‘energy station’ where they can be recharged.[14]

As of November 2020, four teams have announced their participation in the series, each developing a different car. Commitments from one more brand have been received, but not yet announced.[15]

Make	Model	Developer	Seasons
Alfa Romeo	Alfa Romeo Giulia[5]	Romeo Ferraris	2021–2022
Cupra	Cupra e-Racer[16]	Cupra Racing	2021–2022
Hyundai	Hyundai Veloster N ETCR[4]	Hyundai Motorsport	2021–2022

• Electric motorsport
• Formula E
• FIA Electric GT Championship

• Official website