Hyundai Veloster N ECTR opens a brave new world of racing at Frankfurt

Hyundai is busy in Frankfurt this week, and EV fans should take notice. In addition to the 45 concept, Hyundai has also unveiled something a little more pulse-raising in the Veloster N ETCR. This one coming directly from Hyundai Motorsport, it’s the brand’s first electric race car, and it’s designed specifically for the new Electric Touring Car Racing series (ECTR) set to launch next year.

Based on the Veloster N hot hatch, the ECTR ditches the gasoline engine for a mid-mounted electric motor powering the rear wheels. Hyundai will build two examples of the Veloster N ETCR to compete in the season’s first series.

Furthermore, Hyundai Motorsport promises that electric racing will “become one of the pillars of the company.” Hyundai executive VP and product boss, Thomas Schemera, said of the Veloster N ETCR, “We have been anticipating this moment for some time and we are thrilled to open this exciting new chapter for our company.” He added, “ETCR is the natural next step in our journey, and one that aligns perfectly to Hyundai’s global strategy for electric vehicle production.”

We don’t have detailed technical specifications, but we know a little bit about the ETCR series. It’s open to multiple constructors, but cars will use a common electric powertrain, with Williams Advanced Engineering supplying the batteries and vehicle control modules. The series plans to launch in North America, Asia and Europe. In addition to Hyundai, Seat sub-brand Cupra has also signed on to race in the series, with Swedish driver Mattias Ekström at the wheel.

We'll stay tuned for more info from the series. In the meantime, we'll have our fingers crossed for an eventual road-going Veloster EV.