Cupra e-Racer Revealed!
Volkswagen’s Spain subsidiary SEAT unveiled a pair of race cars today. One of which we don’t car about at all, however, the other one is an EV! Dubbed the Cupra e-Racer, it is an almost 700 horsepower all-wheel drive electric race car, roughly the size of a VW Golf, or Ford Focus. And, while we will probably never be able to buy a SEAT here in Michigan, thanks to the glories of the internet we can watch them destroy a racetrack without burning a drop of gasoline. Check out snippets from the press release below, as well as pictures from today’s reveal, and videos from earlier in the racers development. Enjoy!
“CUPRA premieres the world’s first all-electric touring race car, the CUPRA e-Racer
The CUPRA e-Racer offers peak output of 680PS/960Nm from its four motor-based powertrain linked to a 65kWh battery pack”
Press Release:
CUPRA e-Racer
Electric propulsion is at the core of CUPRA’s racing strategy, and the brand’s engineers have developed the first 100% electric touring race car to integrate the powertrain technology of the future.
The CUPRA e-Racer, the world’s first all-electric racing touring car, is a reality. Providing a combined 680PS (500kW) of peak power and 960Nm of torque from its single-speed four electric motors and a liquid cooled 65kWh battery pack, the race car is ready to redefine motorsport.
Aerodynamics, performance and design have sculpted the shape of the CUPRA e-Racer, starting with its lower and wider stance, carrying over the road car side air curtains and introducing an innovative bumper and bonnet air flow circulation, as it can move more smoothly over the vehicle’s profile and the side of the racing car.
The CUPRA e-Racer’s design is a balance between CUPRA DNA and aerodynamics with a lower and wider stance. As a pure electric vehicle, the combustion engine grille was eliminated, transformed instead into an air curtain bonnet, improving aero performance. The wheel arches have been developed to better extract the air and improve downforce, while the flat floor underneath the racing car, helps improve overall aerodynamics. Each part of the e-Racer’s design is about air flow and allowing it to move more smoothly over the vehicle’s profile.
As it is electric, less cooling is needed at the front, therefore the upper grille has been integrated and blanked.
From 2021, the PURE ETCR championship, a race series designed specifically for electric touring cars, will take place. The format, race duration and driver, team and fan experience will highlight how different pure electric racing competitions are, emphasising the intensity and excitement the technology can produce.
