Hearing the boom of the engines, the rumbling as each car approaches, and the zip as it zooms past at over 150 mph are all part of the thrill of attending a NASCAR race.
In downtown Chicago on Saturday, NASCAR presented its first electric racecar; yet, when the grand marshal commands, “drivers, start your engines,” it does not roar.
The leading racing series in North America collaborated with ABB, Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota to showcase a high-performance electric car and assess fan interest in electric racing.
Riley Nelson, the head of sustainability for NASCAR, stated that they hope to show electric cars and electrification in general as hip, entertaining, and approachable in the racing world.
When Ragan first visited the racetrack at the age of eleven, he stated the sound and smell were unlike anything he had ever encountered. Tire squeals were audible to him. The brakes were smelling to him. The sound, smell, and heat from the exhaust of gasoline-powered vehicles overwhelm all other sounds. However, after countless laps, Ragan’s ears weren’t ringing this time. He described it as quite wild.
The new automobile is actually a crossover utility vehicle, not your usual sports coupe. It is aerodynamic enough to be considered a racecar thanks to a massive rear wing.
accelerateIt can stop virtually instantly and accelerate nearly twice as quickly as the fastest gas-powered racecars. However, because it is heavier, it navigates the turns more slowly, resulting in a two-tenths of a second slower lap time at Virginia’s Martinsville Speedway. Ragan stated that it might run even faster because he wasn’t straining the unique car to its breaking point. He argued that taking risks is for racing, not testing.
General Motors’ chief of global motorsports competition, Eric Warren, revealed that a survey of ardent NASCAR fans revealed that over half of them would be more inclined to buy an electric car if they were introduced to it through racing. He stated that conserving and maximizing energy is a key message.
Warren declared, “We’re committed to electric vehicles.” “Racing gives a great platform to discuss a lot of those concepts and educate fans. It’s a laboratory for us to try some new technologies and learn as we educate.”
Gas burning produces carbon dioxide, which warms the environment and causes more intense weather. It also pollutes the air. Around 19 pounds of carbon dioxide are produced by burning one gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Over the course of a weekend, racing activities need thousands of gallons.
More electric vehicles would undoubtedly make the event quieter, but many spectators enjoy hearing the thunderous sound of engines as the green light turns green.
As part of the unveiling before to Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series stop, a group of kids, including the offspring of ABB employees, removed the car’s cover. As he passed by Buckingham Fountain, 16-year-old Chicagoan Dean Radejewski paused to examine the vehicle.
“I think it’s pretty cool that they’re stepping into the newer age, where all the stuff’s going electric,” Radejewski remarked. “I feel like it’s going to be maybe a bit more reliable, maybe a bit safer, too, since less fuel to light on fire.”
Additionally, Radejewski found the idea of a NASCAR EV series to be intriguing.
“It would be more racing to watch,” he remarked. “So even better,”
John Probst, senior vice president and chief racing development officer of NASCAR, stated that he believes the organization could completely change the fan experience if it decides to pursue electric racing. A DJ could be one choice.
“It’s our goal to entertain our fans,” he declared. “We know how to create a racing series around pretty much anything if our fans tell us this is what they want to see.”
Electric car racing is not a new venture for NASCAR or any other motorsports organization. Started a decade ago, Formula E is an all-electric racing championship. But compared to NASCAR, its fan base is far smaller.
The new vehicle is a component of NASCAR’s larger environmental strategy. Currently, ABB is the official electrification partner of NASCAR. It will assist NASCAR in obtaining more power from renewable resources.
Additionally, NASCAR owns 15 racetracks around the United States, several of which are located on busy roads. At such rails, ABB intends to set up its electric vehicle charging stations and link them to the power grid. They will be available for use by everyone, not just race fans, and work with standard electric vehicles.
According to NASCAR, by 2028 it would use 100% renewable electricity at its owned buildings and racetracks, recycle at every event, and deploy sustainable racing fuel. Its goal is to achieve “net zero” operating emissions by 2035.
For this reason, the black, white, and red automobile has the number 35 on it in addition to ABB. Instead of the usual carbon fiber composite, the automobile body is built of plant-based materials, specifically a flax-based composite made by the Swiss company Bcomp.
Hydrogen-powered race cars are another idea that NASCAR is researching. In 2023, NASCAR’s sports car circuit, the IMSA, made the transition to hybrid engines. This weekend in Ohio, the IndyCar race series, which is in competition, will introduce its hybrid engines. As part of revised engine regulations, Formula 1 intends to use sustainable fuel in all of its vehicles beginning in 2026.
In under four years, Ford Performance produced eight state-of-the-art electric showcase cars on its own.
“Fans want to have some connection or relationship to the racecar,” Ford Performance Motorsports’ global director Mark Rushbrook stated. “As more and more customers are buying all-electric vehicles, there will be, we believe, a growing number of people that want to watch full electric racing.”
Initial figures released by Motorintelligence.com on Tuesday show that sales of electric vehicles in the United States increased by 7% overall in the first half of the year. 7.6% of new cars sold in the United States were electric vehicles, roughly unchanged from the previous year.
Michael Plaster, the executive vice president of ABB, thinks that children who see the new car at NASCAR events will inquire about the transition to clean electricity and perhaps pursue a career in electrical products and solutions in the future. With billions of dollars, ABB is expanding its U.S. operations.
“I can’t think of a better way to do it as far as getting interest and attention, and having the forum to talk about this whole energy transition,” Plaster remarked.