Hyundai Motor Company has committed to the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) from 2022, when the series enters a new era of hybrid technology, reaffirming its quest to making motorsport more sustainable.
As two-time – and reigning – WRC manufacturers’ champion, Hyundai Motorsport will develop a brand-new hybrid challenger based on the Hyundai i20 N road car, which itself has been directly influenced by the company’s title-winning success at the pinnacle of international rallying.
Hyundai’s growth of its participation in WRC reflects the determination of the organization to lead its mission of ‘Change for Humanity’ in the future mobility market. Further supporting this approach will be Hyundai’s active role in the new all-electric PURE ETCR series.
The championship will set new benchmarks for electric racing around the world, and will continue to speed up the transition to pollution free mobility in June on the Vallelunga circuit in Italy. Hyundai will compete with its all-electric high-performance touring car, the Veloster N ETCR, developed by the talented team of experts at Hyundai Motorsport in Alzenau, Germany.
“Motorsport remains a hugely valuable testbed for Hyundai’s future mobility models and technology. It is imperative for us to embrace more sustainable solutions, so we are delighted to see WRC move in this direction with new hybrid regulations that will create a more relevant link to our road vehicle technology,” says Vice President and Head of N Brand Management and Motorsport Sub-Division at Hyundai Motor Company, Till Wartenberg. “The positive impact that motorsport activities have on our high-performance N brand and mother brand Hyundai should not be undervalued; it’s the ideal platform on which we can develop future technology while showcasing the sheer passion and fun of driving Hyundai cars. Whether it’s with our Veloster N ETCR or the hybrid WRC challenger based on the Hyundai i20 N, we are committed to showing how cutting-edge technology can be combined with more sustainable solutions in motorsport.”
Hyundai’s dedication to developing world-first mobility technology thrives on the technology cross-over between Hyundai Motorsport and Hyundai’s high-performance N brand. Future N production models are direct beneficiaries of Hyundai’s use of motorsport as a testing ground for innovation.
The Veloster N ETCR, the car with which Hyundai Motorsport will participate the inaugural PURE ETCR season, is itself a highly tweaked version of the North American Veloster N model, ensuring the development cycle is seamless. PURE ETCR provides Hyundai with the ability, in the most harsh circumstances, to drive its electrification systems to the max.
Through WRC and PURE ETCR, Hyundai will not only be showcasing its high-performance credentials on the competitive motorsport stage, with a target of enhancing Hyundai Motorsport’s championship status, it is also striving to make this performance as environmentally friendly as possible.
“With the extension of our commitment to WRC and participation in PURE ETCR, we are demonstrating our intent to lead the future of mobility and give legitimacy to our vision of Progress for Humanity,” says Thomas Schemera, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Hyundai Motor Company. “These series represent the perfect platform from which Hyundai can combine environmental and sustainability messages in a motorsport context, bringing together our brand’s progress and performance pillars. We are clear on our goals to develop future-oriented technologies and promote cleaner, greener racing, and to target new demographics for the global Hyundai brand through motorsport.”
