641 HP Hyundai Ioniq 5 N eN1 Racecar Debuts

As the shifts towards electrification ramps up, many are concerned about the trend of high-powered EVs that can accelerate quickly but perform poorly in terms of handling. Much of the latter stems from an EV’s weight, which is unconducive for motorsport.

However, things are progressively changing. Case in point: Hyundai just unveiled the Ioniq 5 N eN1 Cup racecar. Based on the award-winning Ioniq 5 N high-performance EV, it perhaps ushers in a new era of sustainable racing.

Till Wartenberg, Vice President and Head of N Brand & Motorsport, stated that "this unique electric racing car demonstrates our cutting-edge technology and passion for pushing the boundaries of what EVs can achieve on the racetrack."

Even the motorsports world’s renowned ‘Drift King, Keiichi Tsuchiya, recently gave the base Ioniq 5 N, which the eN1 Cup racecar underpins, his seal of approval whilst putting it through its paces at Australia's World Time Attack Challenge last year.

The Ioniq 5 N eN1 Cup harnesses the same 800-volt Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) architecture as the production Ioniq 5 N, which features an 84 kWh battery and ability to draw up to 350 kW DC charging input. This racing version’s dual-motor powertrain also gets a 40 HP bump and now outputs 641 HP. It also gets a stronger regenerative braking system too.

As for kit, this eN1 Cup racecar rolls on 18-inch forged wheels whilst riding on new 2-way adjustable dampers capable of height and camber adjustment. The stock braking hardware had also been swapped out for beefier six-pot (front) and four-pot (rear forged) callipers. Improved handling is also promised from the adoption of racing slick tyres.

included too is n N1 series-specific aero package with wider flared fenders to properly house the 11-JJ offset wheels. This cup-specific race machine weighs in at 1,970kg, but still boasts much of the N performance tech such as N e-Shift, N Active Sound+ (improved), N Grin Boost, and N Battery Preconditioning.

The Ioniq 5 N eN1 Cup car, like the existing Avante (Elantra) N1 class, will compete in the N1 racing class, and will be a mainstay competition class starting this year in the Hyundai N Festival.

The eN1 Cup car will be tested and modified during the season, allowing race teams, drivers, and marshals to learn more about and further advance the EV racing competition.

This trial season will also see additional development of charging infrastructure, fire response techniques, and emergency response.