FIA Announces The Creation Of New Electric GT Racing Series

The FIA has announced the creation of a new racing category dedicated to electric-powered cars.

The cars competing in the series will race at full-length permanent circuits and operate in a similar performance window to the current generation of GT3 cars. However, the FIA says the vehicles will outperform their combustion engine counterparts in acceleration and qualifying pace.

Specialists in electric vehicle construction without previous combustion engine motorsport experience and manufacturers already committed to the GT3 class will be able to compete in the category and can use the architecture and certain design elements from their existing cars and convert them to electric power.

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The minimum weight of the racers will be between 1,490 kg (3,284 lbs) and 1,530 kg (3,373 lbs), depending on the vehicle that the cars are based on. Output will be capped at 577 hp and manufacturers will be able to opt for two- or four-motor powertrains and two or four-wheel drive configurations. They will also feature dynamic vehicle control systems that automatically adjust the torque of each wheel independently to improve handling.

Manufacturers will build their own bespoke battery layouts using lithium-ion pouch-style cells from Saft, a subsidiary of the Total oil company. These cells have been designed to allow for up to 700 kW of peak regenaration and 700 kW fast charging that will allow them to replenish 60 per cent of their capacity within just a few minutes during mid-race pit stops.

“The FIA’s vision is to make motorsport a laboratory for sustainable mobility,” FIA president Jean Todt said in a statement. “The announcement of this new electric-powered GT car category is a key milestone serving this goal as it will pave the way for new battery and fast-charging technologies. A perfect illustration of our race-to-road approach.”