NASCAR reveals all-electric prototype

Zero-emission race car boasts nearly double the horsepower of the current Cup car

Published Jul 06, 2024 • Last updated Jul 06, 2024 • 3 minute read

ABB and NASCAR have joined forces to create this prototype EV racecar, which was unveiled today at the 2024 NASCAR Chicago Street Race. Photo by ABB/Nascar

If you needed further proof that the electrification of vehicles isn’t a fad, that Bubba-fied bastion of petrol-fuelled decadence, stock car racing, is going electric. Well, not just yet, but NASCAR’s three partners — Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota — teamed with engineers responsible for the next gen car and the Garage 56 entry in the 24 Hours of Le Mans to create an all-electric prototype that has already turned some hot laps.

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The zero-emission racer was revealed today at the 2024 NASCAR Chicago Street Race, heralding the ABB NASCAR Electrification Innovation Partnership designed to explore high-performance electric racing and create strategic opportunities for electrification in the sport, including race vehicles, electrification infrastructure, and energy education. ABB is a 140-year-old company specializing in electrification and automation, and since 2018 has been the title sponsor of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

The electrified stock car is powered by three motors — one on the front axle, two on the rear — and features a 78-kWh liquid-cooled battery with a reported peak power output of 1,341 horsepower (1,000 kW). Photo by ABB/Nascar

In addition, ABB becomes a founding partner of NASCAR IMPACT, a platform driving sustainability initiatives across the sport, including NASCAR’s stated goal of reducing its carbon operating footprint to zero by 2035. ABB will advise NASCAR as the race series evolves and modifies its office, track, racing competition, and long-haul transportation operations. Some of these initiatives include sourcing 100% renewable electricity at owned racetracks and facilities by 2028, expanding waste diversion efforts, and the development of on-site EV charging stations.

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“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,” said ABB vice-president Ralph Donati.

The electrified stock car is powered by three motors — one on the front axle, two on the rear — and features a 78-kWh liquid-cooled battery with a reported peak power output of 1,341 horsepower (1,000 kW). For comparison’s sake, the current gasoline-powered Cup cars top out at around 750 hp. As with road EVs, the prototype racer utilizes regenerative braking to convert kinetic energy into power, which according to NASCAR, makes the car ideal for road courses and short oval tracks. The all-wheel car has specially designed Goodyear Racing Eagle tires and uses a generic Crossover Utility Vehicle (CUV) body made of sustainable flax-based composite.

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The prototype shares many similarities with both the Next Gen and Garage 56 cars, with the body sitting on a modified Next Gen chassis, and the steering, suspension, brakes, and wheels all deriving from the NASCAR Cup Series car.

The EV prototype was developed in collaboration with Nascar's OEM partners – Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota – and was built by the Nascar engineers responsible for the Next Gen car and the Garage 56 entry into the 24 Hours of Le Mans. — The EV prototype was developed in collaboration with Nascar’s OEM partners – Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota – and was built by the Nascar engineers responsible for the Next Gen car and the Garage 56 entry into the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Photo by ABB/Nascar

“There could not be a more optimal moment in time to announce our first IMPACT partner than in tandem with the debut of our prototype electric vehicle at the Chicago Street Race,” said Eric Nyquist, NASCAR senior vice president and chief IMPACT officer. “ABB is an industry leader and will help in efforts to decarbonize our operations as we pursue achieving net-zero operating emissions over the next decade.”

So, does this mean that by 2035 NASCAR’s top tier will be using all-electric race cars? No, like many other global combustion-engine race series, it plans to continue to go racing with piston power, only with sustainable fuels rather than fossil fuels. But that’s not to say we won’t see a NASCAR EV support series at some point. And one look at this prototype, and its spec sheet, illustrates just how great that racing could be.

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Andrew McCredie

Andrew McCredie is a senior editor with Postmedia Driving and has been reporting on the automotive industry for the past 20 years, from consumer-oriented road tests to new vehicle launches to technological deep dives. For the past decade he has increasingly focused on electric vehicles, and his EV-related Postmedia podcast Plugged In continues to feature interviews with the country's, and the world's, experts in the electric vehicle industry.

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