Hyundai’s Veloster N ETCR is already at speed

Hyundai’s Norbert Michelisz currently leads the WTCR, the series that replaced the FIA’s previous World Touring Car Cup. The team knows how to win a championship using combustion-only 2.0-liter turbos, but with the first ETCR season launching next year as WTCR’s electric counterpart, Hyundai Motorsport is currently preparing its expansion onto the electric racing grid.

While Hyundai partner Rimac was involved in the early phases of the Veloster N ETCR’s development (just as Rimac was involved with Cupra’s ETCR car, which then landed at Williams), the project is now fully in the hands of Hyundai’s German engineers.

Hyundai Motorsport says its first testing of the ETCR car at the Hungaroring was trouble-free. With its floor-mounted batteries and double-wishbone suspension setup at the rear, this electric Veloster N is completely different from the i30 N and Veloster N chassis running in TCR. It’s mid-engined, rear-wheel drive, and… sufficiently wide.

In the coming months, Hyundai’s team will have to perfect the chassis and learn how to get the most out of the batteries while also fine-tuning the electric motor’s power and torque delivery. The center of gravity shouldn’t be a problem.