Honda Partner JAS Working on ETCR Program

Photo: Honda

Honda’s official racing partner JAS Motorsport has confirmed it is in preliminary stages of developing an electric touring car for the ETCR platform.

Speaking to Hungarian publication wtcblog.hu, JAS CEO Alessandro Mariani revealed that the Italian company has been working towards an ETCR program for a while.

JAS has a long history with Honda in various disciplines of motorsport and its recent ventures include developing the Japanese manufacturer’s TCR car, the Civic Type R TCR.

The team previously ran factory Hondas in the FIA World Touring Car Championship between 2013-17 before taking on design of its TCR platform.

“I can confirm that JAS Motorsport has been involved from the outset in a program that targets electric TCR,” Mariani told wtcblog.hu.

“We are currently in the first design phase, but unfortunately I can’t say more.”

ETCR currently has two confirmed manufacturers in launch partner Cupra and the recently confirmed Hyundai, which unveiled its Veloster N ETCR earlier this month.

JAS employees were spotted at the ETCR presentation held ahead of an on-track demo at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in October last year, along with representatives from other potential brands at the time, including Hyundai, although they were already on-site for the weekend’s TCR Europe finale.

JAS hasn’t confirmed that a potential future ETCR program would be with Honda, although it does remain the most likely option given the two companies’ partnership and history.

Honda, however, remains noncommittal about the electric touring car platform and doesn’t currently have an electrified version of its Civic road car, which would be the most likely model for such a program.

“We have no plans at this stage to enter ETCR,” said William de Braekeleer, Honda Motor Europe’s motorsport manager, in a quote supplied to e-racing365.

András Lantos contributed to this report

Jake Kilshaw

Jake Kilshaw is a UK-based journalist. He is a graduate of Politics and International Relations.