In March 2022, the Audi RS Q e-tron 500 kW series-hybrid racer (earlier post) won its first desert rally in Abu Dhabi; now the next evolution is ready. The innovative prototype, bearing the abbreviation E2, is significantly improved for the 2022 Morocco Rally and the 2023 Dakar Rally. RS Q... Read more →

From 2026, Audi will compete in the FIA Formula 1 World Championship with a specially developed power unit. The project will be based at Audi Sport’s facility in Neuburg near Ingolstadt. This is the first time in more than a decade that a Formula 1 power train will be built... Read more →

Acura Motorsports released the first official images and details for the all-new, electrified Acura ARX-06 prototype sports car, which will make its competition debut next January at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. The latest in a line of successful Acura endurance racing prototypes, the ARX-06 features Acura-specific bodywork and aerodynamics... Read more →

Hyundai Motor’s high-performance N sub-brand revealed the RN22e and N Vision 74 “rolling lab” concepts to demonstrate Hyundai Motor’s ambition to become a leader in the zero-emissions future. Hyundai Motor’s rolling labs are vehicles in which the company tests and verifies advanced technologies to apply them to future production models.... Read more →

BMW will shortly begin an intensive period of testing for the BMW M Hybrid V8, with which BMW M Motorsport will be battling for overall wins in 2023 in the IMSA GTP class of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The project had already reached a key milestone before the rollout: the... Read more →

As part of a broader initiative to accelerate the use of sustainable technologies in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) announced plans to debut Firestone Firehawk race tires made with guayule natural rubber grown and extracted at the company’s guayule R&D facilities in Arizona. (Earlier post.) The guayule race... Read more →

Seven of the world’s leading automotive manufacturers have registered with the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) to race the new Gen3 car which debuts in next season of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The Gen3 race car will be officially unveiled to the public at the Yacht Club... Read more →

Honda gave the 2.4-liter internal combustion component of the next-generation (4th) NTT INDYCAR SERIES hybrid power unit its on-track debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. With six-time INDYCAR SERIES champion Scott Dixon at the controls of the Honda test chassis operated by Chip Ganassi Racing, the new internal combustion engine... Read more →

Toyota Motor is entering three differently fueled vehicles in the ENEOS Super Taikyu Series 2022 Powered by Hankook Round 1 Suzuka 5-Hour Endurance Race (Suzuka 5-Hour Race), which takes place from 19 to 20 March 2022: a hydrogen engine-equipped Corolla, a new GR86-based vehicle that uses a biomass-derived carbon-neutral fuel... Read more →

The Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Aramco) signed five agreements with leading French companies, including an agreement to explore a hydrogen-powered vehicle business with Gaussin, a pioneer in clean and intelligent transport solutions. The agreement between Aramco and Gaussin aims to establish a modern manufacturing facility for on-road and off-road hydrogen... Read more →

Nissan revealed its new Nissan Ariya Single Seater Concept—a high-performance exploration, development and demonstration project of how the all-electric Nissan Ariya crossover (earlier post) powertrain could be used in a bespoke single-seat racing car chassis. The concept was presented at the Nissan Futures event by Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan senior vice... Read more →

Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., Subaru Corporation, Toyota Motor Corporation, Mazda Motor Corporation, and Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. jointly announced that, toward the achievement of carbon neutrality, they will take on the challenge of expanding fuel options through the use of internal combustion engines at the (three-hour) Super Taikyu Race in... Read more →

Toyota Motor Corporation is entering a vehicle equipped with a developmental hydrogen-powered engine (earlier post) at the five-hour-long Super Taikyu Series 2021 Powered by Hankook Round 5 Suzuka S-tai, which takes place this weekend. Just as in Round 3 and Round 4, the vehicle will be entered under the ORC... Read more →

Porsche and Siemens Energy have joined forces with a number of international companies to build an industrial plant for the production of nearly CO₂-neutral fuel (eFuel) in Punta Arenas, Chile. A pilot plant is initially being built north of Punta Arenas in Chilean Patagonia, which is expected to produce around... Read more →

At IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich, Porsche is presenting the Mission R concept electric car that combines advanced technologies and sustainable materials, such as natural fibre-reinforced plastics, with a passion for racing. In addition to a progressive design, the extremely low-slung, all-electric competition car features the characteristic lines of the... Read more →

Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) and Molicel have agreed on a strategic collaboration to support the next generation of high performance, superior quality, lithium-ion power battery cells. Earlier, in July, WAE and niobium-based battery start-up, Nyobolt (earlier post), also announced an engineering and systems integration partnership designed to support and advance... Read more →

TotalEnergies is developing a 100% renewable fuel for motorsport competition, to be introduced from next season at the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), including the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2022, and at the European Le Mans Series (ELMS). This 100% renewable fuel to be offered by TotalEnergies will be... Read more →

Just under a year after the initial concept idea, Audi Sport has started testing the new Audi RS Q e-tron series hybrid, with which Audi will tackle the Dakar Rally in January 2022. (Earlier post.) Audi wants to be the first car manufacturer to use an electrified drivetrain in combination... Read more →

Porsche is investing a high double-digit-million amount in its new joint venture company Cellforce Group GmbH. Porsche and joint venture partner Customcells, a spin-off from Fraunhofer, also announced the launch of production of high-performance battery cells at Porsche’s Weissach Development Center. The new high-performance cells use silicon as the anode... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Group announced that its dedicated hydrogen fuel cell system brand, HTWO, will make its motorsports debut, providing its fuel cell generator to the ETCR (Electric Touring Car Racing) category. ETCR is the world’s first all-electric touring car race category that provides leading vehicle manufacturers a global stage to... Read more →

Toyota Motor Corporation is developing a hydrogen combustion engine in an effort to move toward a carbon-neutral mobility society. It has installed the engine—a 1.6L in-line three-cylinder turbo with intercooler—on a racing vehicle based on Toyota’s Corolla Hatchback, which it will enter in competition under the ORC ROOKIE Racing banner.... Read more →

Audi will compete in the Dakar Rally for the first time in January 2022 with a prototype featuring an advanced series-hybrid drivetrain (earlier post). Now, Audi reports that the concept of the innovative prototype has almost been concluded. The first tests are planned for the middle of the year. The... Read more →

The e-Drive division of Integral Powertrain Limited (IP), manufacturer of electric motors and inverters, has entered a Technical Partnership with the NIO 333 Formula E Team. Having been involved with the motorsport sector, in particular, electrified motorsport for the past decade, IP is well-positioned to deliver and to support the... Read more →

Swiss industry leading EV powertrain and power electronics development specialist BRUSA Elektronik AG, and Austrian EV motorsport frontrunner STARD have taken take their close cooperation to the next level by signing an agreement to co-develop and market current and next-generation high-performance e-motors, inverters, DC-DC converters, and development services for motorsport... Read more →

Lotus unveiled the E-R9, a new design study for a next-generation pure electric endurance racer that could be on the starting grid of circuits around the world for the 2030 season. The EV features a sleek fighter jet-style canopy centrally mounted in a delta-wing upper body. Innovations include advanced active... Read more →

Hyundai Motorsport will soon participate in the inaugural all-electric touring car championship PURE ETCR, which will commence later this year, with its new all-electric high-performance touring car, the Veloster N ETCR. Like the i30 N TCR and i20 N Rally2, the Veloster N ETCR is based on a highly-modified version... Read more →

Researchers at Toyota Research Institute (TRI) are conducting research with Stanford’s Dynamic Design Lab into how to bring together the instincts of professional drift drivers and automated driving technology. Thee goal is to design a new level of active safety technology and share it broadly so that Toyota and other... Read more →

TOYOTA GAZOO Racing has launched the all-new GR010 HYBRID Le Mans Hypercar, which will compete in the 2021 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). The reigning World Champions and three-time Le Mans winners will defend those titles against new manufacturer competitors using a racing version of the upcoming hypercar road car,... Read more →

PEUGEOT Sport and TOTAL have released the main technical characteristics of the powertrain of their Hypercar LMH for the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC)—the PEUGEOT HYBRID4 500KW. The main features of the PEUGEOT HYBRID4 500KW are: Hybrid technology, with a mid-rear, 2.6-liter, 500 kW (680 horsepower), twin- turbo, V6,... Read more →

BMW Group will end its involvement in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship at the end of the coming season. BMW has consistently supported the Formula E project from the beginning, and has enjoyed victories and podiums with the BMW i Andretti Motorsport team. BMW Group has always used... Read more →

Audi will be competing in the famous Dakar Rally for the first time in 2022 with an innovative prototype. The alternative drive concept combines an electric drivetrain with a high-voltage battery and a highly efficient energy converter for the first time. Cross-country rallying will be the spearhead of the factory... Read more →

Audi has presented the new e-tron FE07 that has been developed by Audi Sport, with a new Audi MGU05 motor-generator unit. The electric racing car, with an all-new electric powertrain that was developed in-house for the first time, will make its debut on the race track during the test in... Read more →

Honda supports INDYCAR’s announcement of a new hybrid power unit formula, to take effect with the start of the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season. Honda Performance Development (HPD) is readying a 2.4-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 hybrid power unit capable of producing more than 900 horsepower. Honda welcomes this step to the... Read more →

At the 16th Beijing International Automotive Exhibition (Auto China 2020), Beijing Hyundai Motor Company showcased its RM20e electric racing midship sports car prototype and Prophecy concept EV model, demonstrating the reach of its EV ambitions. The new Tucson as well as new Elantra also made their debuts to Chinese customers.... Read more →

Starting in the 2020/21 season, MAHLE will be a technical partner to DS TECHEETAH, the leading team in Formula E. MAHLE will use its many years of expertise in e-mobility to support the racing team while taking advantage of the rigors of the motorsports environment to gain a wealth of... Read more →

Extreme E, the new electric off-road motor racing championship, is in advanced talks with Fisker Inc. on a series partnership and potential works team entrance. Extreme E, starting early 2021, is a new electric racing series which will see electric SUVs go head to head in extreme locations around the... Read more →

Ford has introduced the Mustang Mach-E 1400, a performance prototype based on the Mustang Mach-E EV. Developed in collaboration with RTR and built off a Mustang Mach-E GT body-in-white, the prototype targets 1,400 peak horsepower. The chassis and powertrain work together for a multitude of setups offering capability unlike any... Read more →

Through Symbio, the joint venture it formed with the automotive equipment manufacturer Faurecia, Groupe Michelin has become a preferential partner of the MissionH24 project which seeks to accelerate the development of zero-emissions mobility through the use of fuel cell technology in endurance racing. This step-up in Michelin’s involvement sees it... Read more →

Audi will not extend its commitment in the DTM touring car racing series beyond the 2020 season. The management board of AUDI AG made this decision also in light of the economic challenges due to the corona pandemic and communicated it to ITR e.V., the DTM’s umbrella organization, on Monday.... Read more →

Ford Performance has unveiled a one-off Mustang Cobra Jet factory drag racer with all-electric propulsion. The battery-powered Mustang Cobra Jet 1400 prototype is purpose-built and projected to deliver more than 1,400 horsepower and more than 1,100 lb-ft (1,491 N·m) of instant torque to demonstrate the capabilities of an electric powertrain... Read more →

Formula E and the FIA provided images of the newly named Gen2 EVO, using a reimagined design that will debut in season seven when the electric racing series competes under the banner of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Ahead of another milestone season, the first Formula E car... Read more →

The BMW iFE.20 Formula E racer uses a cooling shaft manufactured from flax fibers—the first BMW race car fielded by a works team with parts made out of renewable textile fibers. Compared with carbon, flax has greater absorption and greater impact resistance, which can be advantageous on the street circuits... Read more →

Volkswagen is focusing its motorsport strategy on electric mobility. A clear emphasis on fully electric racing cars will be backed up by the farewell to factory-backed commitments using internal combustion engines. The role as a technological pioneer will continue to be taken over by the ID.R electric race car, which... Read more →

Atieva, the Silicon Valley-based technology wing of Lucid Motors, announced that the spec battery pack of its own design will power the entire 24-car Formula E field for the upcoming 2019/20 race season in association with its partners. The Formula E battery pack was conceptualized, designed, tested, and manufactured by... Read more →

With immediate effect, ZF Friedrichshafen AG is the new “Official Powertrain Partner” of Mahindra Racing, one of the founding teams in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship. Together with Mahindra Racing, ZF has already started development of the electric driveline for the 2020/2021 season. The first test bench tests and... Read more →

The DTM has initiated a long-term development program for a emission-reduced high-performance fuel, beginning with trials at this weekend’s season finale, at the Hockenheimring (4-6 October). The special fuel, developed by long-time series partner Aral, consists of 50% high-quality renewable components derived from waste products. As a result, it has... Read more →

Mercedes-Benz announced a technology supply agreement with Venturi Racing in the run-up to the Formula E season 6 opener in late November at Diriyah. In Season 6, Venturi Racing will run two examples of the new Mercedes-Benz EQ Silver Arrow 01, alongside the cars fielded by the works Mercedes team,... Read more →

Hyundai Motorsport has completed the first on-track running with the new Veloster N ETCR, the company’s first electric race car project. Unveiled earlier this month at IAA in Frankfurt, the Veloster N ETCR is the first electric racing car to be built by Hyundai Motorsport. The mid-mounted motor and rear-wheel-drive... Read more →

Piloting the ID.R electric racer, Romain Dumas (F) completed the 99 tight corners on the Tianmen Mountain road in China in 7:38.585 minutes—a record for the ascent. So far, the 99 corners have been tackled with drifts, in either SUV or sports cars with conventional combustion engines—but never with an... Read more →

The “Forze VIII”, a hydrogen fuel cell Le-Mans-style prototype, became the first hydrogen-electric vehicle to beat gasoline-powered cars in an official race. The car, designed, built, tested and raced by a group of students from Delft University of Technology, finished second in the Supercar Challenge at the TT Circuit in... Read more →