ETCR

Pure ETCR
Series Information
Official Name	FIA Electric TCR
Announced	2 March 2018
Based	London, UK
Inaugural Season	2021
No. Races	0
Supports
Current Season
Drivers Champion
Teams Champion
Constructors	Cupra; Hyundai; Williams
Manufacturers	{{{manufacturers}}}
Tyres	Goodyear

ETCR, officially known as the Pure ETCR (and from the 2022 season as the FIA eTouring Car World Cup), is an upcoming electric racing series, intended to allow electrically powered touring cars to race against one-another. Organised by WSC Ltd. and Eurosport Events, the promoters of the WTCR Series, Electric TCR is to debut in 2021, with backing from car manufacturers SEAT, in the form of their Cupra brand, and Hyundai.

Background

E TCR's origins can be found in the creation of International TC3, a new rulebook developed by WSC Ltd. in 2013 to serve as the entry level point for touring car racing. The concept, which was headed by former WTCC boss Marcello Lotti, was approved by the FIA in December 2014, with the category renamed as TCR. The new TCR formula came into effect in 2015, with a number of national and international championships established.

2017 saw TCR secure a deal to take over the faltering World Touring Car Championship, with TCR-spec cars allowed to enter the new series. The reborn WTCC was renamed as the FIA World Touring Car Cup (abbreviated to WTCR), with its first season staged in 2018.

History

TCR's creators WSC Ltd. began investigations into electric racing during 2017, having witnessed the rise of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship among the ranks of single-seaters. On 2 March 2018 WSC Technologies, a subsidiary of WSC Ltd., revealed the new "Electric TCR" series, which would use the base TCR chassis alongside an all-electric powertrain. Spanish manufacturers SEAT were the first manufacturer to signup to the new series, with their luxury Cupra brand becoming a series partner.

The regulations for the E TCR series were announced shortly after the series' launch, with cars mandated to produce 300kW of continuous power. The series would also have a universal battery produced by Williams Advanced Engineering, capable of storing 65 kWh at 800V of power, with all cars using a rear-wheel drive layout. The series also revealed its intention to start in 2020, although after the Covid-19 Pandemic the inaugural season was pushed back until 2021.

Format

Due to the constraints of the first generation of electric powertrains for the ETCR ruleset, races would be conducted in a similar format to the World RallyCross Championship, with drivers balloted into heats. Each heat, named a 'battle', would see drivers race for a handful of laps from a starting gate, with the winning driver progressing to the next round. The 'battles' would be followed by a semi-final and then final, with points awarded based on overall finishing position after the final.

Between battles the cars are to be held at a universal 'energy station' in order to be recharged.

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