NASCAR debuts electric race car prototype ahead of Chicago Street Race
NASCAR on Saturday unveiled a prototype electric race car as part of a new initiative that aims to reduce the organization’s emissions and electrify aspects of the sport.
NASCAR on Saturday unveiled a prototype electric race car as part of a new initiative that aims to reduce the organization’s emissions and electrify aspects of the sport.
The initiative represents a key push toward sustainability that is seemingly at odds with the legacy of stock car racing, but aligns with NASCAR’s long-term goal of reaching net-zero operating emissions by 2035.
The vehicle’s debut, in partnership with the electrification and automation company ABB, came one day before NASCAR’s Chicago Street Race.
The “ABB NASCAR EV Prototype,” developed in collaboration with Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota, is an electrified stock car that can produce 1,000 kW (or 1341 horsepower) at peak power. Like most existing hybrid or full-electric vehicles, the race car has a regenerative braking system that converts kinetic energy from braking into electrical power.
ABB officials said NASCAR’s plans to decarbonize its operations and reduce its carbon footprint go hand in hand with the wider energy transition taking place in the United States.
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