Geneva 2018: Cupra e-Racer as a pioneer
THE FIRST E TCR TOURING CAR The Seat Leon Cup Racer was a forerunner of today's touring cars under TCR regulations. In Geneva, the Cupra brand, which has been independent for a short time, is showing its e-Racer, which is based on the gasoline engine and will be used in the new E TCR from 2019. With its own one-make cup for the Seat Leon Cup Racer, from [...]
With its own one-make cup for the Seat Leon Cup Racer, which gave rise to the Leon TCR, the Spaniards played a pioneering role back in 2014. This is now being taken over by the independent Cupra brand with the e-Racer, the first touring car with electric drive for the E TCR coming in 2019.
The first Leon Eurocup winner was Stefano Comini from Ticino, who subsequently also became the first TCR International Champion with a Seat Leon TCR. TCR stands for Touring Car Racing and is a category created by former WTCC manager Marcello Lotti in 2015 for front-wheel-drive, production-based sedans with turbo engines of 1600 to 2000 cc displacement.
From 300 kW (408 hp) up to 500 kW (680 hp)
The Cupra e-Racer is designed as a true race touring car with a chassis based on the TCR gasoline engine. The e-motor delivers 300 kW (408 hp), but a peak output of up to 500 kW (680 hp) can be coaxed from it.
Unlike the TCR model, it has only one gear, torque vectoring and rear-wheel drive. It sprints to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds and to 200 in 8.2 seconds. Acceleration doesn't stop until 270 km/h.
Following the world premiere in Geneva, the Cupra e-Racer will be shown in action at selected events, reportedly including a Swiss hill climb.
Deployment from 2019 in the E TCR
From 2019, the e-Racer will be used in the E TCR for touring cars with electric drive announced by Lotti on March 2. In Geneva, the Italian announced a few key data on this. The Cupra e-Racer is the first car to already comply with these regulations.
The motor, gearbox, inverter and 65 kWh/800V capacity battery pack will be supplied uniformly to all manufacturers by WSC Technology Ltd (the technological arm of Lotti's organization WSC Ltd) and can be fitted to any current or future TCR model. Cupra says the e-motor is "simple and easy to maintain."
The E TCR could take on a similar status in touring car racing as the FIA Formula E as an electric series in racing cars. Manufacturers interested in e-mobility will (have to) play their part here as well, even if they do not develop the drive themselves.
What spectators and race freaks think of the increasingly silent and emission-free racing is another story...
