Hyundai combines performance and sustainability in motorsport

Hyundai Motorsport has announced that it will start this year with the Veloster N ETCR in the first all-electric touring car series PURE ETCR. The new racing series is intended to set a global standard for electric racing and show how motorsport can be made more environmentally friendly. With the participation, Hyundai Motorsport heralds a new era in which electric racing becomes one of the pillars of the company. In addition, Hyundai has used its leading role in the field of fuel cell technology and developed a hydrogen generator that can charge electric vehicles with green energy.

Hyundai Motorsport Performance

"Hyundai goes to great lengths to develop sustainable mobility for a better world, and motorsport is no exception," said Andrea Adamo, Team Principal at Hyundai Motorsport. “We are therefore very pleased about the opportunity to build on our WRC and TCR successes in the new PURE ETCR racing series. With our holistic approach, we are able to significantly reduce emissions in motorsport and at the same time ensure that the spectacular sport as we know and love it continues to provide excitement and fun - for drivers and fans alike. "

Technology transfer between racing and production vehicles

Hyundai Motorsport has been competing in the FIA ​​World Rally Championship (WRC) with the i20 Coupe WRC since 2014 and has already won the brand title twice. The basis for the reliable rally racing car is a heavily modified version of the Hyundai i20. The rally vehicle develops 380 hp at 450 Nm torque and is equipped with a 1,6-liter turbo engine with direct injection and all-wheel drive.

The Hyundai i30 N TCR is used in the national TCR championships and the WTCR. The racing driver Gabriele Tarquini was able to climb to the top of the WTCR rankings in the first season. A year later, Norbert Michelisz drove the i30 N TCR for the second WTCR title in a row. The production version of Hyundai's first high-performance model, the i30 N, serves as the basis of the successful touring car. The i30 N TCR also regularly proves its capabilities in the ADAC TCR Germany. The Hyundai Team Engstler based in the Allgäu has already celebrated two drivers' and one team titles with the i30 N TCR.

The use in motorsport primarily serves to experiment with innovative technologies and to transfer the knowledge gained to future N series models. The latest hot hatch, the Hyundai i20 N small car (the Hyundai i20 N is not yet for sale. The homologation and fuel consumption calculation of the German national version will take place immediately before the market launch) is influenced by the i20 WRC rally vehicle. The i20 N has the same weight as the minimum required in the WRC and has a rally-inspired roof spoiler for improved aerodynamics.

Veloster N ETCR - Hyundai's first all-electric high-performance vehicle

For the PURE ETCR championship, the Hyundai Motorsport engineers at the company's headquarters in Alzenau developed and built the company's first fully electric high-performance vehicle, the Veloster N ETCR. Like the i30 N TCR and the i20 Coupe WRC, the Veloster N ETCR is based on a heavily modified version of a production vehicle from Hyundai, the Veloster N.

The first test drives took place in September 2019. The emission-free, rear-wheel drive touring car, which was specially developed for the ETCR regulations, has a 798-volt battery pack from Williams Advanced Engineering, which is located in the floor of the vehicle, and a double wishbone rear suspension. This sets the chassis apart from all previous Hyundai Motorsport racing cars. The Veloster N ETCR offers a peak output of 500 kW (around 680 hp) and a continuous output of 300 kW. The drive consists of four motors - two per rear wheel - connected to a single gearbox.

With the development of an emission-free touring car like the Veloster N ETCR, the company is demonstrating the feasibility of high-performance electric vehicles and the possibility of combining sustainability with motorsport. By 2025, Hyundai Motor plans to lead the global electric mobility market with 560.000 battery electric vehicles sold. The Hyundai KONA Elektro is particularly popular. The first battery-electric powered SUV in the B segment guarantees a WLTP range of up to 484 kilometers and can be recharged to 80 percent in less than an hour at a fast charging station.

“The ETCR serves as a test bench for future Hyundai mobility models. With the Veloster N ETCR, we are proving how cutting-edge technology can be in harmony with environmentally friendly mobility and demonstrating the feasibility of high-performance vehicles in the EV sector, "says Till Wartenberg Vice President and Head of the N Brand Management and Motorsport sub-division at Hyundai Motor Company. "The knowledge and data that we collect through our experience on the racetrack are the basis for optimizing and improving our BEV and FCEV models."

Hyundai develops hydrogen generator for charging electric vehicles

As a global leader in hydrogen and fuel cell technology, Hyundai continues to expand its commitment to a sustainable future. The company has set itself the task of making the future of high-performance vehicles and motorsport as environmentally friendly as possible. As part of the ETCR, Hyundai is planning to use a specially developed hydrogen generator as an energy supplier for the electric racing cars, with the aim of making the process from electricity generation to energy supply as sustainable as possible.

The generator, which consists of two fuel cell stacks, independently generates the electricity required for the electric vehicles. First, the generator is filled with compressed hydrogen via tanks. Through a chemical reaction in which hydrogen comes into contact with oxygen, the generator generates emission-free energy that is used to charge the battery-electric racing cars.

The Hyundai Generator enables two electric vehicles to be charged at the same time. In addition to a high-speed charging function, it also offers a significantly reduced noise level compared to a diesel generator. In addition to e-racing, a number of potential applications are conceivable for the hydrogen-powered Hyundai generator, such as use at festivals, construction sites and in crisis situations.

“For Hyundai it is important to always take a holistic view of emission-free mobility. With solutions like the hydrogen generator, we are not only able to charge vehicles emission-free, but also guarantee that the electricity is generated emission-free by using green hydrogen to drive the generator, ”says Thomas Schemera, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of the Hyundai Motor Company. "On the way from Hyundai to the Smart Mobility Solutions Provider, we will develop further emission-free concepts for various areas."

Hyundai leads the way in fuel cell technology

Hyundai is a pioneer in fuel cell technology and, with the fuel cell SUV Hyundai NEXO (consumption of hydrogen in kg H2 / 100 km: urban 0,77, extra-urban 0,89, combined: 0,84; CO2 emissions in g / km combined: 0) is already launching the second generation of a series vehicle with this innovative and environmentally friendly drive technology on the market. The NEXO can cover a range of up to 750 kilometers in accordance with the NEDC consumption standard and only produces water vapor as an emission. The world's first production vehicle with this technology, the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell, was launched in 2013. Hyundai is currently the only manufacturer that offers all important alternative drive forms in series: electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell drive.

Photos: Hyundai

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Hyundai combines performance and sustainability in motorsport

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