Pure ETCR

The electric touring car series was presented together with the CUPRA 'e-Racer' car ahead of the 2018 Geneva Motor Show by TCR promoter WSC Ltd.[3] In September 2019, Hyundai became the second manufacturer to commit to creating an ETCR car, the 'Veloster N ETCR',[4] and in December the Italian team Romeo Ferraris announced that they will build an Alfa Romeo Giulia according to ETCR specifications.[5]

In February 2020 the series was rebranded as 'Pure ETCR' and a calendar of demonstration events for 2020 was presented.[6] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, development and testing was delayed by several months, making the original plan infeasible. The series' official launch event eventually took place on 9 October in Copenhagen, where Hyundai Motorsport was officially announced as a competitor.[7] A demonstration of the starting gates and the Hyundai Veloster was held during the WTCR event at the MotorLand Aragón in Spain on 13 November 2020.[8] On the same weekend, Romeo Ferraris revealed their ETCR version of the Alfa Romeo Giulia.[9]

The calendar for the inaugural season was announced in February 2021. The first ever Pure ETCR is planned to take place on 18–20 June at the Autodromo Vallelunga in Italy, followed by three more races in Europe and a final race in South Korea.[2]

ETCR cars use spec powertrains supplied by the series organizers with manufacturers using their own car designs and chassis. The common kit includes motors, inverter, battery, ECU and cooling system. The car has two electric motors on the rear axle, producing 500 kW.[10]

The ETCR race format will be different from standard touring car races, but instead, be similar to a rallycross format with several rounds of short races and an elimination process leading to a final. The individual races are called 'battles' and will be started from an opening gate and last for only a few laps. Each driver will have a ‘push-to-pass’ power boost and a smaller ‘fightback’ boost for trying to reclaim a position. Between the battles, cars will return to a central ‘energy station’ where they can be recharged.[11]

As of November 2020, four teams have announced their participation in the series, each developing a different car. Commitments from one more brand have been received, but not yet announced.[12]

Team	Car	Drivers	Ref.
CUPRA[13]	Cupra e-Racer	Mattias Ekström	[14]
		Jordi Gené	[14]
Romeo Ferraris	Alfa Romeo Giulia[5]	Jean-Karl Vernay	[15]
		TBA
Hyundai Motorsport	Hyundai Veloster N ETCR[4]	TBA
		TBA
Shanghai Lisheng Racing	MG 6[16]	TBA
		TBA

• Electric motorsport
• Formula E
• Touring car racing