- America’s leading motorsport series, NASCAR, has revealed an all-electric prototype, in collaboration with electrification experts ABB, and the race series OEM partners, Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota.
- The collaboration is part of NASCAR’s wider decarbonisation efforts.
- The one-off prototype has a peak power figure of over 1,300 horsepower.
Will NASCAR go electric?
The prototype is built on a modified version of the same chassis used on the current NASCAR Cup Series model, but blitzes the power of current petrol-powered NASCARs – with the prototype packing a tri-motor setup capable of producing over 1,300 horsepower, compared to the current model’s 750 horsepower. One notable difference over current series cars is the crossover body shape, used over the current saloon shape, highlighting the increased popularity of SUV-type vehicles, particularly in the EV era, that NASCAR wants to tap into.
While NASCAR itself won’t be fully switching to a fully-electric series, it hints at the possibility of a NASCAR EV series in the future – much in the same way that Formula 1 and Formula E coexist currently. This prototype serves as a promotional tool for persuading viewers that electric motorsports works, and more widely, should persuade more drivers to switch to an electric vehicle.
This partnership between NASCAR and ABB doesn’t stop there. The racing series is also committed to all its facilities and tracks running off 100% renewable energy by 2028, along with the installation of public EV charging stations at all circuits – which will be achieved with the help of ABB.
Ralph Donati, ABB Executive Vice President, commented:
“ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, and we help customers globally to optimize, electrify and decarbonize their operations,
The objective of the collaboration between NASCAR, ABB in the United States and the NASCAR industry is to push the boundaries of electrification technology, from EV racing to long-haul transportation to facility operations.”
