British Touring Car Championship promoter Toca has issued invitations to tender for the supply of hybrid systems to the series, with the hope of bringing forward the introduction of the systems to the Championship by a year to 2021.
In August 2018 the British Touring Car Championship’s (BTCC) Technical Working Group agreed a plan to introduce hybrid energy systems for the BTCC’s next generation of touring cars (NGTC) technical regulations. These are currently halfway through a 10-year technical cycle, with the next evolution of the formula due to be introduced at the end of the 2021 season.
Plans for the BTCC to incorporate hybrid systems had first been mooted by BTCC director Alan Gow in an interview featured in the March 2018 issue of PMW. The BTCC is believed to be the first major touring car championship in the world to have committed to a firm pathway for the integration of hybrid power.
The working group confirmed in the March 2018 article that in 2022 a specified hybrid unit would be fitted to all cars in addition to their current drivetrain. The planned hybrid system will enable each car to have a reserve of supplementary power available during each race, which can then be used by drivers as part of their overall race strategy.
For the last nine months Toca has had detailed consultations with industry experts to clearly define the technical, performance, system specification, servicing and commercial requirements of the hybrid system.
The resulting document will now be made available to those parties interested in tendering, with Toca expecting to award the contract in the next three months.
Toca requires the winning contractor to produce a light, cost-effective, low-voltage hybrid system with proven durability. The system must also be able to be incorporated into the current specification of BTCC cars in addition to their 2-liter turbocharged engines.
The goal of introducing the systems for the 2022 season remains but Toca will bring this forward to 2021 if key development parameters are met. The development will likely involve some current cars being fitted with hybrid units during 2020/2021 as part of the project’s test and development program.
Those interested in tendering for the hybrid systems contract can contact BTCC technical director Peter Riches on 01953 797169 or by email at richesst@aol.com
