Six Manufacturers for ETCR “Very Possible”

Photo: ETCR

As many as six manufacturers could build cars for ETCR when it debuts in 2020, with additional brands set to confirm plans soon.

Between four and six brands are expected to produce electric touring cars for the new series which was officially launched at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Sunday.

Mauricio Slaviero Campos, CEO of ETCR parent company WSC Technology, is confident of healthy interest for the new platform.

“I would say that we have manufacturers from a lot of different continents,” he told e-racing365.

“I think it’s very possible to get up to six different manufacturers. I’m not saying that’s a goal or something that will happen, but it’s very possible.

“I couldn’t imagine to have less than four. We’re not going to have less than four, for sure.”

SEAT’s performance subsidiary Cupra is currently the only brand publicly committed to the platform, having launched its e-Racer alongside the initial series announcement earlier this year.

While Slaviero Campos wouldn’t reveal any additional brands, the ETCR launch event was attended by representatives from a number of manufacturers including Hyundai and Honda.

Additional brands are expected to reveal their plans “30 days from now”, according to both Slaviero Campos and WSC Ltd. CEO Marcello Lotti.

WSC Group is divided into WSC Ltd., which runs TCR, and WSC Technology, which is in charge of ETCR.

Global Championship Planned for Debut, Additional Series to Follow

ETCR is set to kick off with an international championship in 2020, similar to current TCR flagship series FIA WTCR, with additional series following at a later date.

The organizers are targeting for the make-up of ETCR to eventually mirror the current TCR platform, with a global series joined by regional and national championships, according to Slaviero Campos.

“It’s going to be an international series, worldwide, with races in Europe, Asia, and maybe in America,” he explained. “It will be a world championship, a world series.

“The idea after that is to start to have regional and local series as well. The plan would be, maybe in two years after the worldwide championship starts, to start regional series in Europe, and in Asia, and maybe also in America.

“Maybe after that, in one or two more years, even local championships. Why not have a British one, an Italian one, whatever? That’s the idea.

“Our main goal is to have the same concept that we have in TCR in ETCR in the future.”

Jake Kilshaw

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