NASCAR unveiled a new electric stock car prototype at the Chicago Street Race today as part of a showcase of its sustainability initiatives, for which it has a new partner in Swedish electrification company ABB. The car, which looks more like a performance crossover like the Ford Mustang Mach-Eis in many ways a complete departure from the traditional stock car. Don’t expect the ABB NASCAR EV prototype to replace the gasoline V8 anytime soon, though.
According to NASCAR, the car is powered by three electric motors – one in the front and two in the rear – powered by a 78 kWh liquid-cooled battery pack that can generate 1,000 kW “at peak power.” according to today’s announcement.
NASCAR writes that the electric vehicle is based on a modified version of the Next Gen NASCAR chassis introduced in 2022, which was designed with a view to transitioning towards alternative fuelsChevrolet, Ford and Toyota contributed to its development, the organization writes.
Prior to its unveiling, the $1.5 million prototype had only been driven by NASCAR driver David Ragan, reported The Associated Press. Ragan told the outlet that his fastest lap at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia was “two-tenths of a second slower” than a typical driver, despite having nearly twice the acceleration. Unsurprisingly, weight was a big factor, slowing him down in the corners.
Traditional production cars are not heading into their final left turn, although there are rumors that they will. introduce hybrids in a few years. Still, it could do something similar to the all-electric Formula E series sponsored by ABB; NASCAR says it “could explore possibilities around high-performance racing,” according to NBC News.
