Just yesterday, Seat’s new performance sub-brand Cupra pulled the veils off its new all-electric race car, dubbed the e-Racer. Labelled as the first 100% electric racing touring car in the world, the company has now revealed more details about the e-Racer.
Displayed publicly alongside Seat models at the 88th Geneva Motor Show, the Cupra e-Racer claims to boast even more impressive performance than a traditional racing car. According to the automaker, an electric motor is much simpler to work with and requires much less maintenance. Above all, it is more efficient as it practically uses all of the supplied energy, while a combustion engine only uses, in the best case scenario, up to 30% of its fuel energy.
There’s also no wastage of energy – kinetic energy is harnessed during braking and deceleration to recover power, whereas acceleration is much better because maximum torque arrives from the moment the accelerator is pressed. “For the same reason, a gearbox is no longer necessary,” said the company.
Now, the electric motor – which revs to 12,000 rpm and is juiced by a 65 kW battery – delivers 300 kW (402 hp) of continuous power and has a peak output of 500 kW (670 hp). All that power gets channeled to the rear wheels through a single gear with torque vectoring. Key performance figures include a 0 to 100 km/h sprint in 3.2 seconds, 0 to 200 km/h in 8.2 seconds and a top speed of 270 km/h.
For features, it’s equipped with three cameras instead of the conventional rear-view mirrors, and the visuals will be displayed within the dashboard. Externally, the wheels appear to be constructed partially from carbon-fibre, and it’s designed for optimal aerodynamic performance. Another nifty but familiar feature is the functional rear door handles that are hidden within the C-pillars.
Cupra also announced that it will, from this point onwards, take charge of all motorsports endeavours, one that was previously under the purview of Seat Sport. The new company will inherit Seat’s involvement in the world of motorsport that has lasted for more than 40 years, but it will do so knowing that the future of racing will move onto alternative powertrain systems. Cupra aims to pave the way and lead the change towards efficient and clean racing.
Throughout 2018, the e-Racer will make an appearance at selected events as a run-up to an eventual purely electric touring car championship. The new racing series is expected to kick of in 2019, while the format and race duration will be completely different. “It will be much more active, incredibly dynamic, intense and exciting,” said the company in a press statement.
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