Cupra is working hard to deliver its first electric model, already anticipated by the El Born concept a few years ago. CUPRA engineers have spent two years testing Born on a 6 km square meter frozen lake test circuit just a few miles from the Artic Circle.

In this harsh environment, where temperatures often reach -30°C, engineers use cutting-edge technology to optimise the development of the CUPRA Born.

Now in the final stages of testing before its launch, they are pushing the brand’s first fully-electric car to its limits in these severe conditions.

This is a decisive phase in the development of the CUPRA Born. The CUPRA team is subjecting the electric car to over a thousand tests in some of the coldest temperatures on the planet.

This includes durability testing, where nearly 19,000 test miles have been accumulated day and night. The aim is to ensure CUPRA Born delivers the best performance even in the most extreme conditions.

The dynamism of the first fully-electric CUPRA has been a crucial aspect of its development. The Dynamic Chassis Control and the different damper settings are tested on the frozen lake circuit.

The inner part of the test track is more polished, the outer part less so, in order to promote sliding which enables the engineers to perfect the handling characteristics of Born.

CUPRA Born is put to the test on tracks that combine ice and asphalt surfaces in different ways, leading to a variety of grip conditions. The CUPRA team recreates the most challenging conditions and sensors on all four wheels analyse each type of terrain to find the balance that provides the most stable braking.

As a fully electric vehicle, the response of the CUPRA Born’s climate control system is immediate. Even at -30ºC, the vehicle delivers the maximum level of heating power instantly.

Despite being almost 2,500 miles away from the Technical Centre in Martorell (Barcelona), the engineers used state-o f-the-art technology, such as 3D printers, to develop the air conditioning system to ensure it is silent, efficient and offers the highest level of autonomy.

The World Premiere of CUPRA’s first 100% electric model takes place at the beginning of May this year.