Formula E announces first 100% electric junior touring car series

Formula E on Thursday announced the NXT Gen Cup, the world’s first 100 percent electric junior touring car series with both male and female drivers.

The NXT Gen Cup will be featured at four European race events of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship’s Season 10 including Misano, Monaco, and Berlin, as well as the season finale in London.

The race will feature two 20-minute practice sessions (except Monaco with just FP1), a 20-minute qualifying session and a 20-minute race.

The race includes 20 young drivers aged 15-25 who are making their debut in racing. The race will also help them to find their talent and develop a career in racing.

The single-make series features an all-electric car, LRT NXT1 developed by Lestrup Racing Team. It is an 1150kg machine based on an electric MINI Cooper SE road car.

The front-wheel drive version delivers 180bhp and an additional 60bhp with push to pass feature. This electric car has a 30kWh battery and an 800 V system.

Other features of the car are regen when braking, adjustable Ohlins shock absorbers, and Hankook Semi-slick all-weather types. A batch of 20 LRT NXT1 cars was built for the series along with charging solutions.

The race calendar includes six European total races, many of which consist of driver line-ups under 17 years old. The final list of driver line-ups will be announced from next week.

The NXT Gen Cup aims to support young male and female drivers to compete on the same circuits as Formula E’s 22 Pro drivers.

Adding this new format of racing would also spotlight sustainable electric racing around the globe. According to the current schedule, the NXT Gen Cup’s inaugural appearance in the Formula E paddock will kick off in Misano, Italy on April 13 and April 14 at the start of the World Championship’s European tour.

(source – Fiaformulae)