CUPRA further strengthens its commitment to electric motorsport as it joins ABT to compete in Formula E

CUPRA further strengthens its commitment to electric motorsport as it joins ABT to compete in Formula E

  • ABT CUPRA will compete in ABB FIA Formula E, the competition that brings electric racing to the heart of the world’s most iconic cities, from 2023
  • Building on success in FIA ETCR and Extreme E, it’s a natural next step for CUPRA as it continues to prove that electrification and performance are a perfect match
  • CUPRA will partner with ABT Sportsline under the name ABT CUPRA Formula E Team, with drivers Robin Frijns (Netherlands) and Nico Müller (Switzerland) signed up for the team’s maiden season

CUPRA has spent the past four years reinventing motorsport and going out to win, developing the e-Racer – the world’s first 100% electric touring car – and recording achievements in competitions like the FIA ETCR series and Extreme E. CUPRA is a brand with racing in its DNA, with big ambitions for sustainable racing.

Now CUPRA – which has the ambition to become a fully electrified brand by 2030 – is ready for the next stage of its development and will join ABT to compete in Formula E, the world’s leading electric racing competition, for the 2023 season. It’s a natural step for CUPRA as it strives to transform the racing world and prove that electrification and performance are a perfect match.

ABB FIA Formula E – the world’s first all-electric FIA World Championship and the only sport that has been net-zero certified since its inception – and CUPRA share the same DNA, and both reach a diverse audience that shares a common attitude. It’s a group made up of technology and innovation enthusiasts that merge the physical and digital worlds. Like CUPRA, Formula E is present in the metaverse with an official blockchain racing game, and both brands reach individuals that value sustainability and are passionate about racing and performance.

“Racing is at the core of CUPRA’s DNA – and at CUPRA e go out to win,” said Wayne Griffiths, CEO of CUPRA. “It’s the right time to take the next leap forward and join the world’s greatest electric motorsport competition, and I can’t wait to see the ABT CUPRA Formula E team competing in the heart of some of the world’s most iconic cities. Joining the Formule E, a unique motorsport platform, underlines our ambition of becoming a truly global relevant brand, with the aim of inspiring the world from Barcelona.”

With team drivers Robin Frijns (Netherlands) and Nico Müller (Switzerland) signed up for 2023, the ABT CUPRA Formula E team’s participation in the “KönigKlasse” of all electric performance racing platforms will have a huge impact on the brand thanks to the global visibility technical innovation capabilities that Formula E provides. Both ABT and CUPRA will reinforce their relationship as main partners in the team and Mahindra Racing will supply the powertrain technology.

CUPRA already partners with ABT for Extreme E, and the brands are both electric racing pioneers. ABT has seen great success in Formula E with its own team, and CUPRA began its electric motorsport journey by developing the e-Racer, the world’s first all-electric touring car. Their ongoing partnership is proof of CUPRA and ABT’s shared vision of reinventing the world of motorsport through electrification.

Creating the e-Racer led CUPRA to join The FIA ETCR World Cup– the world’s first all-electric touring car championship – where the team claimed the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’-Championship double in both 2021 and 2022. In 2022, CUPRA EKS’ drivers made up all the top-three places in the season’s final standings. The CUPRA e-Racer was by far the fastest and most reliable car in the competition for the second year in a row. ​

Participating in Extreme E – the global electric-SUV off-road competition that highlights natural environments under threat from climate change – complements the way that CUPRA is moving towards an electrified range by the end of this decade and the brand shares the competition’s belief in the importance of highlighting the issues caused by climate change.

Back in 2018, CUPRA’s ambition was to reinvent racing. Thanks to a few believers with big dreams, the brand has continued to challenge racing performance and pioneer new formats of the sport, creating new emotions and experiences.

CU22-17E-FormulaE (3p).pdf 158 KB CU22-17E-FormulaE.doc 774 KB
Dirk Steyvers PR & Content Manager SEAT & CUPRA, s.a. D'Ieteren Automotive n.v.

 

A propos de CUPRA

Press room CUPRA (Belgique) réservée à l'usage des journalistes.

Copyright: textes et photos libres de droits pour utilisation rédactionnelle - Toute autre utilisation des textes et des photos n'est pas autorisée. 

CUPRA

CUPRA is an unconventional challenger brand from the SEAT Group, based on stimulating style and contemporary performance. Since its launch as an independent brand in 2018, sales have shot up and CUPRA closed 2019 with a growth of 72% over the previous year with nearly 25,000 units sold. In 2020, the CUPRA Leon and the CUPRA Formentor, the first model designed specifically for the brand, will hit the market. CUPRA is expanding its dealer network to reach nearly 520 specialized points of sales around the world by the end of 2020.

Coinciding with its second anniversary, CUPRA has inaugurated its new headquarters in Martorell (Barcelona), the CUPRA Garage, a 2,400 square meter building located next to SEAT's corporate headquarters. CUPRA also has a racing car workshop, the CUPRA Racing Factory, where it developed the first 100% electric touring racing car, the CUPRA e-Racer. Moreover, CUPRA has become the first automotive brand to participate in the electric SUV off-road competition Extreme E.

In addition to becoming F.C. Barcelona’s exclusive automotive and mobility partner and World Padel Tour’s premium sponsor, CUPRA has formed an elite team of ambassadors, including the German goalkeeper Marc ter Stegen, the Swedish pilot Mattias Ekström and five of the best padel players in the world, among others.

Group profile

In existence since 1805, and across family generations, D’Ieteren seeks growth and value creation by pursuing a strategy on the long term for its businesses and actively encouraging and supporting them to develop their position in their industry or in their geographies. The Group has currently the following activities:

  • D'Ieteren Automotive distributes Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, Škoda, Bentley, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Porsche and Yamaha vehicles in Belgium. It has a market share of around 22% and 1.2 million vehicles on the road. Its business model is evolving towards improving the lives of citizens with fluid, accessible and sustainable mobility. Sales and adjusted operating result reached respectively EUR 3.6 billion and EUR 119.0 million in FY 2019.
  • Belron (54.85% of the voting rights) has a clear purpose: “making a difference by solving people’s problems with real care”. It is the worldwide leader in vehicle glass repair and replacement and operates in 39 countries, through wholly owned businesses and franchises, with market leading brands – including Carglass®, Safelite® and Autoglass®. In addition, Belron manages vehicle glass and other insurance claims on behalf of insurance customers. Sales and adjusted operating result reached respectively EUR 4.2 billion and EUR 400.5 million in FY 2019.
  • Moleskine (100% owned) is a premium and aspirational lifestyle brand which develops and sells iconic branded notebooks and writing, travel and reading accessories through a multichannel distribution strategy across 114 countries. Sales and adjusted operating result reached respectively EUR 163.9 million and EUR 18.6 million in FY 2019.
  • D’Ieteren Immo (100%) groups together the Belgian real estate interests of D’Ieteren Group. It owns and manages approximately 30 properties which generated EUR 19.7 million net rental income in FY 2019. It also pursues investment projects and carries out studies into possible site renovations. 

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