After the resounding success of the PURE-ETCR, a 100% electric touring car series during the first season in 2021, the organizers are determined not to waste this momentum and have already announced the next step that will evolve the tournament.
For 2022, the competition will be called FIA ETCR-eTouring Car World Cup, in order to establish itself as a global event with the endorsement from the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile.
The FIA Touring Car Commission and the governing body’s World Motor Sports Council approved a series of innovations to the sports regulations for the 2022 season, in order to increase the audience and reach a younger public.
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Francois Ribeiro, Head of Discovery Sports Events, promoter of the eTouring Car World Cup, assured that this evolution means a big step forward for electric touring car racing, given that with the support of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, they hope to reach all corners of the world.
“The FIA ETCR – eTouring Car World Cup will give electric mobility an even greater representation and within a recognizable sporting framework worldwide. With visits to Pau (France) and Istanbul to kick off the season, we can not only showcase the amazing performance of electric cars to fans on one of the world’s most iconic street circuits, but also introduce a large new audience to the concept,” he noted.
Schedule Unveiled
The competition will feature seven exciting races that promise a high-level motorsport spectacle, along with a sustainability strategy to do its part for the environment.
The schedule prepared by the series promoter, Discovery Sports Events, was also endorsed by the FIA Touring Car Commission and approved by the World Motor Sports Council in Paris. It is the first time that all-electric touring car drivers and manufacturers will compete for world titles.
The tournament will start on May 6 in Pau-Ville, France; on May 20, it will move to Turkey, and the next stages will be Hungary, Spain, Belgium, Italy and South Korea, where the grand finale will be held.
Alan Gow, Chairman of the FIA Touring Car Commission, described the announcement of the competition’s first calendar as a milestone. “We believe this new concept will be attractive and relevant to manufacturers, with a sustainable seven-day schedule as a good starting point. The calendar represents a good mix of established classic circuits with new locations, including street tracks.”
FIA ETCR Calendar
Sustainability as a Trademark
With most of the calendar focused on Europe, road transport will be used wherever possible, while travelling to the Asian finale at the Inje Speedium in South Korea will be by sea transport, with 90 percent CO2 emissions compared to the equivalent journey by air.
The presence of HTWO’s hydrogen generators at the power station means that the only by-product of the refueling process is water, while Goodyear’s all-weather racing tire means that fewer units must be produced, transported and disposed of, again reducing the impact on environmental reductions. In addition, FIA ETCR will continue to work with sustainability partners to capture and reduce the environmental impact of the series across all countries visited.
With this announcement, FIA ratifies their commitment to fighting pollution and fossil fuel use, after also giving a World Championship label to Formula E, an electric single-seater series, in 2021.
Written by I Jhonattan González
