This weekend the new ETCR
series launched with its first demo session during the TCR Europe season finale
at the Catalunya circuit near Barcelona in Spain, where the new Cupra e-Racer
ran for the first time in front of the gathered fans.
The e-Racer is based on the Leon Cupra TCR, but
packs an all-electric powertrain – and a more powerful one at that. With the
equivalent of 680 horsepower on tap, the Cupra e-Racer is a solid 330
hp more potent than the conventional version. Though the big battery
pack makes it 400 kg)heavier, it takes just 3.2 seconds to reach 100 km/h and 8.2 to hit 200 km/h. And it doesn’t need a drop of fossil
fuels to do it, either.
Series organizers WSC Technology announced at the
launch event that the first ETCR championship will kick off in 2020. By then we
ought to see more manufacturers sign up for what’s designed to be a multi-brand
championship. But as it stands, the Cupra e-Racer is a pretty impressive piece
of kit, and one that stands to revolutionize touring-car racing just as Formula
E has with single-seaters.
