If they come in WRC22 I hope and believe it is with Scala.
Printable View
I was just browsing through the football Euro 2020 qualification matches when I noticed huge banners of VW on one of the stadiums. Guess what was the slogan.
"Just electric"
That tells you a lot about the current European automotive. Just saying...
Absolutely. Even if combustion remains the top-selling propulsion type right now, a lot of the marketing budgets will be tipped towards full-EV. One, EVs are a big investment and manufacturers need to see a return upon that soon. Two, it makes the whole brand look 'good', or kinder, if you have made an EV.
This makes it potentially harder to justify big WRC investments for some manufacturers, as hybrid is just a halfway house. For me, regulations that cater better to privateers until electric tech and infrastructure enable flat-out rallies without compromise is a must.
We will just habe to discuss, and wish until
From Autosport: Firm regulations for the new era are expected from the FIA by the end of next month.
Mr. Herbert Diess just this week:
"“Hybridisation, electrification and digitalisation of our fleet are becoming an increasingly important area of focus. We intend to take advantage of economies of scale and achieve maximum synergies.”
Notice how Hybridisation comes first. Obviously there is some space to promote hybrid technology in the VAG group.
Today all the hype is about EVs, hybrids are yesterdays news. In this context it seems weird to go for hybrid in WRC. New rules should reflect state-of-the-art, and cars absolutely should have marketing value. Even now hybrids get much less attention than EVs, most people consider them as stop-gap solution for a time when full-electric matured. Can you imagine big manufacturers advertising hybrids in around 2025 while already now EVs are becoming new standard for modern car? Maybe today technology is just a bit raw yet, for example nobody knows how safe are batteries when cars crash, roll or endure such levels of vibration as is common in rally. So give them bit more time to develope, come in with full electrics from 2023 and continue with current ones until then.
VW was saying the same thing already last year, but that also has to do with VW strategy of largely skipping hybrids for full EV.
Anyway WRC/rallying has been behind in the current trend for last 20 years. First running turbo petrol cars when no normal cars had turbos, then switching to S2000 just about the time downsizing started and going for downsizing 2-3 years later than the industry.
Skoda launched their first hybrid only this year and have already presented two more. I think they have some marketing value for the next 5-10 years at least.
F1 is still hybrid and no sign of them going full electric yet.
Hybrids yes, full EVs no. Cars are not ready, grids are definitely not ready.
Yes, Europe is totally unprepared for full electrification of the traffic. Nothing is prepared for that and with the speed of decision-making processes in EU this will take decades.