IMG Motorsports has confirmed that Projekt E, an electric development series, will showcase electric-powered cars on the same event schedule as traditional World Rallycross Supercars at selected European rounds of the championship in 2020. Projekt E is a collaboration between IMG and Austrian company STARD (Stohl Advanced Research and Development).
The aim of Projekt E is to evaluate electric race cars in a WRX environment in accordance with the FIA World Rallycross Championship’s roadmap for electrification, which was recently ratified by the FIA World Motorsport Council.
The partnership with STARD will focus on developing electric technologies, charging and safety systems for the Projekt E race cars as a prelude to the phased electric presence in WRX from 2021.
“We have been working with STARD on the future electrification of world rallycross for several months,” said Torben Olsen, managing director of WRX for IMG. “We have now reached an important stage in the ongoing development of electric solutions for rallycross and in particular Projekt E.
“You will see from the technical details of the Projekt E race cars that the innovative demonstration series will be an exciting addition to our World RX race weekend at selected events next year. Our technical collaboration with STARD on Projekt E is further proof of our commitment to future mobility and relevant technologies in rallycross.”
Projekt E will use STARD’s REVelution EV powertrain systems, which will produce around 450kW (600ps) combined power, 1100Nm of torque and produce a top speed of 240km/h.
The plan is to use current chassis technology, such as a system currently used in the 2019 STARD WRX Ford Fiesta. This concept allows for the conversion of current cars or new builds to current chassis regulations using the REVelution drivetrain.
Following an extensive research and development program, testing of the Projekt E race cars is due to start next month with the official unveiling of the car scheduled for early September.
