How WRC is going PHEV
World rallying’s hybrid era begins in 2022, with Ford first to unveil its car.
Tech CAR explains
Drives Today explains How WRC will electrify
A bold new world of hybrid rally cars is coming. Ford, Hyundai and Toyota are all entering the FIA World Rally Championship in 2022 with electrified racers under the new Rally1 regulations that mandate plug-in power and sustainable fuels.
WHAT EXACTLY IS THE NEW POWERTRAIN?
The heart of the 1.6-litre turbocharged engine is carried over from the existing Fiesta WRC car to mitigate costs, given the extra investment in developing supplemental e-power. It’s joined by a 100kW (134bhp) e-motor, fed by a 3.9kWh battery. Braking and coasting charge the battery, which can also be plugged into a fast charger in service areas for a 25-minute boost.
Rather than a fuel-saving measure, as it would be in a roadgoing Puma, the electric motor is used primarily for a performance boost in the WRC car. It’s quick-acting, so it can reduce the lag that you’d traditionally expect in a turbocharged car. The car can run in a zero-emissions electric mode too – in service areas or in towns between competitive stages, for example.
The other green component to 2022’s new regulations is that fossil fuels will be replaced by a blend of synthetic and biodegradable elements.
IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE A PUMA…
‘The biggest thing [for this project] is that we’re not using a production-based bodyshell,’ says Malcolm Wilson, the former rally driver who runs M-Sport, Ford’s long-term WRC partner.
Part of the reason for moving away from production-based bodyshells is to enable greater safety for the driver and co-driver: the seats have been moved inwards and there is extra protection built into the cockpit’s structure to protect against side impacts.
WILL THE NEW REGS CHANGE THE SPORT?
Wilson says the Rally1 regulations are the biggest technical reset rallying’s top tier has seen in decades.
‘Not just the performance but the whole chassis – the way the thing reacts out of the slow corners,’ says Wilson. ‘It’s probably the first car I’ve seen doing that where I’ve thought: “I’ll leave this to the professional drivers!”
‘The driver who gets the most out of the hybrid system may do the best. It will be a smart driver who will use the system the best – 5km into the first stage at Monte Carlo, they’ll be making some key decisions… The regulations also mean we’re now using a manual gearbox, so if they miss a gear, that will be crucial.’
THE WILDEST PUMA IN DETAIL
SELF-SHIFTING
New regs dictate five forward gears; the Puma will have a manual
WILD AERO
Vents, splitters and a huge wing all refined using Ford Performance’s wind tunnel
COMPACT E-BOOST
Rally1 hybrid unit includes 3.9kWh battery, 100kW motor and inverter in one neat carbonfibre-clothed unit
WRC Puma’s e-booster can pressurise the turbo when revs are low.