Andretti sees an electric future for GRC

Monday, 14 August 2017


RACER Staff / Image by Red Bull Content Pool

Michael Andretti believes that the current momentum behind electric vehicles in motorsport could extend to Red Bull Global Rallycross in the future.
Andretti Autosport is already campaigning electric race cars in Formula E, where it is preparing to partner with BMW when the German manufacturer enters the championship next season. In GRC, the team has been dominant in recent years with Volkswagen, with Scott Speed currently on course for a third-consecutive championship and teammate Tanner Foust sitting just behind him in the points.
GRC has already announced plans for a standalone all-electric class to run alongside the existing Supercars and GRC Lites classes in 2018, but Andretti told the official Volkswagen site that there would be advantages in expanding battery power to the outright class in the future.
"I think the future [of the GRC] is pretty exciting and I think electric could be a big part of it," he said. "Many of us have come to the conclusion that GRC would be the perfect place to showcase electric vehicles. What you're looking for out of these race cars is a lot of torque, which is what electric gives you, and the races are so short that range isn't a concern.
"So rallycross is actually the perfect place for people to go out and say, 'Wow, those electric cars really perform.' I think it will definitely help people understand the new technology more, and maybe encourage fans to want to go out and buy an electric car."