Winter-time just a few kilometres from the Arctic Circle. Temperatures reaching 30 below zero and a circuit on a 6 km2 frozen lake. The CUPRA engineers have spent two years in this harsh environment, using cutting-edge technology to take the development of the CUPRA Born to the highest level.
- Electrical performance in extreme cold. This is a decisive phase in the development of the CUPRA Born. The CUPRA team is subjecting the electric car to more than 1,000 tests in the coldest temperatures on the planet. One of them consists in driving 30,000 kilometres day and night non-stop.
- 100% CUPRA adrenaline. The dynamism of the first 100% electric CUPRA has been a crucial aspect of its development. The Dynamic Chassis Control and the different damper firmness settings are tested on a circuit on a frozen lake. The inner part of the track is more polished, the outer part less so, in order to promote sliding.
- Braking precision. The CUPRA Born is put to the test on tracks that combine ice and asphalt surfaces in different ways, which means different grip conditions. The CUPRA team recreates the most difficult conditions. Sensors on all four wheels analyse each type of terrain to find the balance that provides the most stable braking.
- Instant comfort. Because it is fully electric, the response of the CUPRA Born’s climate control system is immediate. Even at -30ºC, the vehicle delivers the maximum level of heating power from the very first second. Despite being almost 4,000 km away from the Technical Centre in Martorell (Barcelona), the engineers used state-of-the-art technology, such as 3D printers, to design the air conditioning system. They overcame several challenges; on the one hand, to create a silent system and, on the other hand, an efficient one, in order to obtain the best feeling of comfort while maintaining the highest level of autonomy.
The world premiere of CUPRA’s first 100% electric model takes place at the beginning of May. It will reach the market in the second half of 2021 and the full range will be available in January 2023.