2022 is not only the year to accelerate electrification in the global automotive industry, but even automotive events have undergone earth-shaking changes because of electrification.
F1, which has been hybrid for an early time, ushered in a major reform of the rules in the 2022 season, and everything is new except for the power unit. Another FIA top event, the WRC World Rally Championship, used hybrid for the first time in history.
The new WRC 2022 season kicks off from 20 to 23 January in Monte Carlo, Monaco. This year's participating teams Toyota, Hyundai and Ford have all launched new hybrid cars, Hyundai has released the i20 N WRC Hybrid, and ford M-Sport has also brought a new Puma Rally1 hybrid.
The Ford M-Sport team has been less competitive than Toyota and Hyundai in recent years, but it's hard to say who's fastest in the new season, and they have great drivers.
WRC nine-time winner Sebastian Sebastien Loeb joined the Ford M-Sport team this year, having just finished runners-up in the Dakar Rally.
Under the WRC case, the racing hardware parameters of each participating team are almost the same. Let's take the Ford Puma Rally1 hybrid as an example and see what level these world's fastest rally cars are.
As Ford's new WRC car, Ford no longer uses the Carnival WRC car, but uses the new Puma Rally1 hybrid race car, based on the civilian version of the Ford Puma EcoBoost Hybrid - of course, in addition to the name and similar shape, the WRC is very different from the civilian car.
However, as Ford's first electric racing car, its technology is the next generation Ofd hybrid level, especially in braking and coasting energy recovery of 30 kW, which is technically much higher than active civilian vehicles. The lithium battery has a capacity of only 3.9 kWh, which can provide 3 seconds of acceleration power when supercharged at ultra-high levels.
The electric motor can output 100 kW, but the motor is only auxiliary, and the Ford Puma EcoBoost Hybrid is powered by an EcoBoost 1.6T four-cylinder turbocharged engine with a maximum output of up to 380 horsepower and a maximum torque of 420 Nm.
In addition, WRC will use fossil fuel-free from the 2022 season, but 100% sustainable biofuels.
Coupled with the power of the electric motor, the Ford racing car output is up to 500 horsepower and 500 Nm, and it is important to know that the Ford Puma has a wheelbase of only 2600mm and a minimum weight of only 1260 kg. This is also the reason why large batteries are not used, after all, WRC racing cars often need to fly and jump, and the requirements for lightweighting are very high.
Coupled with a 5-speed sequential transmission and a four-wheel drive system with 50:50 torque distribution, this performance monster accelerates from 0-100km/h in just 3.2 seconds.
It is important to know that the WRC's playing field is not in the asphalt circuit, but at any time at a speed of 200km/h across the wild dirt road.
The WRC of 2022 will be interesting, with hybrid cars being able to traverse towns on non-racing roads using pure electric power. The battery pack can be charged at a dedicated pit between the two stages, and the charging time takes about 25 minutes.