Can EV Racing Be Thrilling? See NASCAR’s Latest Prototype In Action

Take a glimpse into the future of NASCAR with this high-performance electric racer developed jointly by Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota and ABB.

NASCAR’s EV prototype burns some rubber

Photo by: Twitter

Wade Malone

By: Wade Malone

Jul 7, 2024 at 7:07pm ET

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NASCAR and electrification company ABB have joined forces with Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota to develop an impressive new electric performance car. Their goal is not only to demonstrate the excitement and power that electric racing can bring to the table. They also want to gauge fan interest in this new category of high-performance electric vehicles.

The vehicle was demoed this morning as part of the NASCAR Cup Series with veteran driver David Ragan behind the wheel at the Chicago Street Race. Many fans and media figures captured footage of the exciting new car in action including @MrGoElectric on X.

Ragan told the Associated Press that it was “really wild” being able to hear the squeal of the tires and smell the brakes around the curves. This new electric stock car is certainly quieter than most NASCAR fans are used to, although it is far from silent. While it doesn’t produce the deep rumble of a car’s combustion engine, the satisfying electronic hum sounds plenty powerful as it whips by the crowd.

This electric stock car certainly has the power to compete with three STARD UHP 6-Phase motors powered by a 78 kWh battery that produces 1,000 kW at peak power. Acceleration is twice as quick as your typical stock car and the combined regen and friction braking outperforms its combustion engine cousins.

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The vehicle’s lap time in a recent test at Martinsville Speedway was two-tenths of a second slower than other vehicles in attendance. But Ragan admitted he was not pushing the brand new, one-of-a-kind vehicle to the limit in a testing situation like this.

If none of this excites you, don’t worry. No one expects electric vehicles to dominate traditional NASCAR competitions anytime soon. There would likely be a specific racing series for this category of vehicles. This is just one dimension of NASCAR’s plan to clean up its events overall, cutting operating emissions to “net zero” by 2035.

What do you think?

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Electric vehicles have already made impressive showings at other events such as Pikes Peak or Nürburgring. There is no doubt that electric powertrains usually have combustion vehicles beat in raw power, but we will have to wait and see if they have the endurance to compete in events with distances of 400 or 500 miles.

Are you excited about the potential for EV racing in NASCAR? Or does the prospect take away the appeal for you personally? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Nascar Unveils EV prototype