Hyundai announced that its racing arm Hyundai Motorsport will participate in the inaugural Pure ETCR electric touring car championship, starting this year in Europe.

The South Korean company intends to utilize motorsport as a testing ground for new technologies.

Hyundai will compete in the Pure ETCR with its all-electric Veloster N ETCR high-performance touring car, based on a highly-modified version of on road-going Hyundai Veloster N model.

"Hyundai Motorsport will compete in PURE ETCR with its new all-electric high-performance touring car, the Veloster N ETCR. It heralds an exciting new era for Hyundai, which will see electric racing become one of the pillars of the company."

We already saw the prototype in September 2019, at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, and then also demonstrated on a race track. In September 2020, the company showed a similar prototype, the RM20e.

Hyundai Veloster N ETCR
Hyundai Veloster N ETCR
Hyundai Veloster N ETCR
Hyundai Veloster N ETCR

The Veloster N ETCR is Hyundai's first all-electric high-performance vehicle. It was built at Hyundai Motorsport's headquarters in Alzenau, Germany.

It has a four-motor, rear-wheel-drive powertrain rated at 500 kW peak, powered by an 800 V battery pack, supplied by Williams Advanced Engineering.

"Testing on the Veloster N ETCR began with a prototype design in September 2019, which the team continued to develop throughout 2020. It is a zero-emission, rear-wheel drive touring car with mid-mounted motors and designed specifically for ETCR regulations.

Equipped with a 798-volt battery pack from Williams Advanced Engineering located in the floor of the car and a double-wishbone rear suspension, the chassis is radically different from any previous Hyundai Motorsport project.

It boasts a peak power output of 500 kW (equivalent to 680 PS) and a continuous power of 300 kW. The Veloster N ETCR’s engine consists of four motors – two per wheel – which are connected to a single gear ratio gearbox."

Hyundai Veloster N ETCR specs:

  • undisclosed range
  • undisclosed battery capacity
    798-volt battery pack from Williams Advanced Engineering
  • rear-wheel drive
    four electric motors – two per wheel
  • system output: 500 kW (equivalent to 680 PS) peak and 300 kW continuous
Hyundai Veloster N ETCR
Hyundai Veloster N ETCR

Besides the car, Hyundai has developed also a hydrogen-powered generator, that will be used as a zero-emission electricity source at racing events.

As we understand, the Hyundai Generator will have an integrated ultra-fast charger that can handle two EVs simultaneously.

"Hyundai will be offering its new hydrogen generator as a recharging system for electric vehicles. The Hyundai Generator is the newest feature of emission-free electric charging and consists of two fuel cell stacks. First, the generator is filled up using tanks of compressed hydrogen. Inside the fuel cell stack, the hydrogen is exposed to oxygen. The ensuing chemical reaction generates energy. This energy is used to charge the batteries of the electric touring vehicles. This way, participants can be sure that the electricity used to charge the cars also comes from emissions-free, sustainable sources.

The Hyundai Generator allows two EVs to charge simultaneously. As well as featuring a high-speed charging capability, it also offers significantly reduced noise levels compared to a diesel generator."

There is potential that Hyundai will use its hydrogen-powered generator also in other applications. The company mentioned festivals, construction sites and crisis situations.

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