See the First NASCAR Electric Race Car
Photo by Nell Redmond – ASSOCIATED PRESS
A $1.5M Prototype Built for the Track
NASCAR race fans expect to hear a few dozen 750+ horsepower engines roaring to life, at the start of a race, not the barely perceptible frequencies of a NASCAR electric car.
Nonetheless, says Eric Warren, head of global motorsports competition at GM, more than half of NASCAR race fans said they might consider buying an EV themselves if they saw one on the track.
While no EVs have officially entered a race, NASCAR has partnered with electrification company ABB to build a 1.5 million dollar prototype that accelerates twice as fast as internal combustion engine cars.
Like all EVs this car is heavier than a gas-powered vehicle, and so it takes corners slower. Test driver David Ragan tried not to push the car too hard on the track during the NASCAR electric car’s testing.
It’s a one-of-a-kind vehicle, built for a few specific reasons: to further research, educate race fans, and to entertain. In this case, all three go together. The car made its debut in downtown Chicago over the 4th of July weekend.
Using Race Cars to Educate + Entertain
“Racing gives a great platform to discuss a lot of those concepts and educate fans,” says Warren.Race fans might miss those roaring engines (they could be simulated with speakers), but they probably won’t miss the smell and heat from car exhaust, and neither will the drivers, says Ragan.
The NASCAR EV's test driver appreciated being able to hear and smell the car's brakes while he drove hundreds of laps around a test track.
Photo by Nell Redmond – ASSOCIATED PRESS
Where is Racing Headed?
EV race cars could become part of their own events soon, with pumping music and lights, suggests John Probst, NASCAR senior vice president and chief racing development officer. “It’s our goal to entertain our fans. If [they] tell us this is what they want to see, we know how to create a racing series around pretty much anything.”
It seems one message is clear: NASCAR fans, or some significant portion of them, want to see electric cars on the track, and ABB will be the company bringing electrification to NASCAR racing as the official partner, installing EV charging stations at the 15 tracks around the US.
NASCAR has pledged to introduce a “sustainable racing fuel” and use 100% renewable electricity at all of its tracks by 2028 and to cut emissions to “net zero” by 2035.
Photo by Nell Redmond – ASSOCIATED PRESS
According to the Associated Press, “NASCAR is also exploring racing with cars that run on hydrogen. IMSA, the sports car series owned by NASCAR, switched to hybrid engines in 2023. A competing race series, IndyCar, will debut its hybrid engines this weekend in Ohio. Formula 1 plans to use sustainable fuel in all cars starting in 2026 as part of new engine regulations.”
Currently, racing events staged by NASCAR, IndyCar, and Formula 1 burn thousands of gallons of gasoline each week. Cars like the ABB prototype are critical to bringing that number to zero in the coming years.
