The technology and engineering subsidiary of the famous Williams Racing team has been picked to key components for the forthcoming ETCR electric touring car championship.
Williams Advanced Engineering will be responsible for supplying the batteries to be used by the electric racing cars, along with the vehicle control modules.
All cars in the ETCR series will use a common powertrain, but with multiple brands building touring cars around the shared componentry. The championship will begin in 2020, with up to six manufacturers reported to be interested.
Williams Advanced Engineering has already marked itself out as a leader in the fledgling electric motorsport world.
The company has supplied battery packs to the Formula E series since it began. Despite the high-performance operating conditions, the batteries used in Formula E have delivered an impressive 99.5 percent reliability record.
Such high-profile success in electric motorsport netted Williams Advanced Engineering a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation, last year. This recognised the considerable level of expertise and professionalism applied by the company in powering electric racers.
Choosing Williams to supply the important components for ETCR was seemingly a logical step for WSC Group, the organisers of the new electric touring car format.
According to WSC president Marcello Lotti: “Williams is synonymous with success in motorsport. The company’s achievements speak for themselves. We are proud of this agreement that associates the Williams name with a new and ambitious brand like ETCR.
“We are delighted to work together with a partner that knows all about motorsport and whose expertise will surely contribute to make ETCR successful.”
Iain Wight, Business Development Director of Williams Advanced Engineering, also commented that: “With the experience, skills and know-how accumulated within Williams from electrifying motorsport and road-going cars, we’re excited to work with the team at WSC Group to continue the progress of electric vehicles and racing to inspire the future of sustainable mobility.”
Williams Advanced Engineering expertise with electric power comes from more than just their Formula E involvement.
The company has worked with Aston Martin to develop the new limited edition Rapide E. Williams also helped create the Jaguar C-X75 concept supercar, and is also now working with Lotus on future products.
WSC Group has been responsible for the rapid growth of the TCR touring car format across the globe. Since the TCR specification was launched in 2014, more than 25 different championships have adopted the format for domestic and international competitions.
The news comes after the British Touring Car Championship recently announced plans to move to hybrid powertrains for 2021 – a year earlier than previously planned.