The Hyundai Veloster N ETCR Is a Wild RWD Electric Race Car

Revealed next to lightened Hyundai i30 N, the ETCR-prepped Hyundai Veloster N wowed the Frankfurt Motor Show press crowds with the flamboyant livery, and, quite frankly, impressive looks. Prepared for the ETCR - the electric touring car racing series - that starts in 2020 - the Veloster N features a mid-mounted electric motor, RWD, and floor-mounted batteries.

While the car is a cool racing proposition for the future, the story behind it is a bit more interesting than what you could pick up at first glance. We know a lot more about it than Hyundai was comfortable to reveal in Frankfurt.

What Powers the Hyundai Veloster N ETCR?

WSC Technology launched the ETCR series in October 2018. The first revealed electric racer was the Cupra e-Racer, with which WSC Technology laid out a few ground rules for the series. That reveals to us a lot about the Hyundai Veloster N ETCR showcased in Frankfurt.

It powers the rear wheels, but more importantly, it sources the power from a 65-kWh battery placed in the floor.

In fact, ETCR rules tell us this about the Veloster N ETCR:

-* It has an electric motor with 300 kW of continuous power and 500 kW of max power

-* It has a battery capacity of 65 kWh and features an 800-volt system, just like the latest Taycan

-* It has an adaptable energy recuperation system

-* It has a single gear transmission that sends power to rear-wheels

-* It has McPherson struts up front and a double-wishbone setup in the back

A few critical things here. WSC Technology provides the motor, inverter, battery, ECU, and cooling system for the Veloster N ETCR. Later on down the road, WSC Technology officials did report that some manufacturers will have a chance to develop their own components. Not right now, though.

Hyundai Veloster N ETCR and Rimac Automobili Connection?

Rimac Automobili and Cupra announced some sort of partnership with the creation of the Cupra e-Racer. Considering that Hyundai and Kia also invested in the company (90 million euros), I would not be surprised to hear that much of the ETCR drivetrain development fell on Rimac Automobili's shoulders. That 800-volt system is yet another proof of this. The Taycan is the only production car with a similar 800-volt electric setup, and Porsche owns more than 15 percent of Rimac Automobili. All in all, the Veloster N ETCR, however cool, is pretty much the same as the Cupra e-Racer.

How Fast Is The Hyundai Veloster N ETCR?

With 680 horsepower, rear-wheel drive, and 881 pounds of batteries for a weight of 3740 pounds (estimate) with the driver, the Veloster N ETCR should be quite fast. At least on the straights. For example, the Cupra e-Racer can pick up speed so fast it cracks 62 mph in 3.2 seconds, while 124 mph comes after 8.2 seconds. Considering that Veloster N ETCR will race with it on the track, I expect similar performance numbers. If not even the same.

More importantly than the sheer speed, I feel, is the fact that WSC Technology created a modular propulsion system that can actually fit in TCR cars as well. Yes, I am saying that if you don't have money to buy a full-fledged N ETCR race car, but would like to try out electric car racing, just holla at WSC Technology and it will provide you with a solution. Kind of neat.

The problem with all this could be the tires. I cannot imagine how can any tire fight with so much weight in racing conditions. It may be that the battery could last longer than the tires. Honestly, we can't wait to see this car racing as It should answer so many questions.

How Much Does a Racing Hyundai Veloster N ETCR Cost?

As far as the pricing goes, I know that some did throw around a price of $250,000 for a fully-prepped Cupra e-Racer a few months ago. The Hyundai Veloster N ETCR should not be far off.

If you are even a tiny bit into Hyundais (I am, because I find it interesting to see how a car company develops), then you should know more about something similar to the Veloster N ETCR. Called the Hyundai Veloster Midship concept and loosely based on the first-gen Veloster, the car had a mid-engine setup with a 2.0-liter, turbocharged unit good for 296 horsepower. It pushed it all to the rear wheels. The new Hyundai Veloster N ETCR is the closest thing we'll ever come to it in real life. I can not shake off the feeling that Hyundai's engineers and designers had that car in mind when designing the new N ETCR.