Its debut full season will be in 2021
Eurosports Events has launched the world’s first all-electric, multi-brand touring car championship – Pure ETCR.
The Discovery-owned promoter behind the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup and FIM Endurance World Championship – is looking to change attitudes towards electric cars and mobility with the competition. Races will be shown on Eurosport across the world, and potential partnerships with broadcasters globally are currently being discussed.
Showcase events will run through this year, with the first full season debuting in 2021. The format for the races has been created to avoid drivers having to save power, so they can push the 500 kilowatt Pure ETCR cars to their limits.
For the competition, the field will be drawn into ‘Battle’ groups, with cars from the same manufacturer kept apart in the first round. The first-drawn driver will be able to choose in what position his vehicle goes, with cars starting side-by-side in a giant starting gate.
Winners will go through to the top groups of ‘Battle 2’, while runners-up and the remaining drivers face-off against each other. All winners of ‘Battle 2’ then qualify for the Grand Final, with runners-up in the B final and the remaining drivers in the C final.
During races, drivers will be able to use a ‘push to pass’ feature once – which gives extra power to facilitate overtaking. There will also be a ‘fightback’ feature for the overtaken driver to try and regain their position.
2020 Pure ETCR Calendar
- July 9-12 – Goodwood Festival of Speed, UK (time trial only)
- July 24-26 – Rd 1 – Salzburgring, Austria*
- August 1-2 – Rd 2 – Copenhagen, Denmark
- October 16-18 – Rd 3 – Inje Speedium, South Korea*
- November (TBD) – Rd 4 – Guangdong, China
- January 30-31, 2021 – 24 Hours of Daytona, USA
*Double-header with WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup
The cars will be powered by Magelec Propulsion powertrain with Williams Advanced Engineering battery unit, which can force 500kw into the rear tires – the equivalent of 680bhp. They can reach 100kph in 3.2 seconds – the fastest accelerating touring cars ever seen – and will be recharged by EnelX chargers. Goodyear is the sole tyre supplier and a founding partner.
In order to keep their green credentials, the competition has committed to using sea freight instead of air and will have hydrogen-powered generators for the paddock.
Andrew Georgiou, president, Eurosport and Global Sports Rights & Sports Marketing Solutions, said: “As Pure ETCR is unveiled today, we see the opportunity to drive the advancement of electric motorsport. Discovery helps to reach passionate motorsport fans as well as broader communities that enjoy motoring and sports every day.”
Head of Eurosport Events, Francois Ribeiro, added: “Pure ETCR aligns with the automotive industry’s rapid move towards electrification and we are extremely proud to launch this new global series today. Our aspiration was to build a new category using all the ingredients that make touring car racing a favourite with fans while also promoting new electric technology that fits perfectly with our concepts of flat-out racing, wheel-to-wheel battles and high performance.”
The full competition will begin in 2021 with eight rounds taking place across Europe, Asia, and North America.