It’s a small revolution on the other side of the Atlantic: NASCAR has rolled out an electric prototype. The 1000-horsepower car was designed with an unexpected partner.
As a racing enthusiast and a specialized automotive journalist for the most environmentally friendly cars, it seemed impossible for the author of this article to one day talk about NASCAR on Automobile Propre.
And yet, after discussing it two years ago, the American stock car turns to electric. Purists can rest assured, the abandonment of the V8 in competition is not happening anytime soon.
But on the sidelines of the urban race in Chicago, NASCAR rolled out an electric prototype. This is the result of a collaboration between the discipline and its three manufacturers.
Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota have all participated in the development of this new car. And importantly, the stock car association has revealed its first “impact” partner.
This partner is the charging solutions provider ABB, which handled the electrical part. The liquid-cooled battery has a capacity of 78 kWh. To propel this silent monster, three motors are installed, two at the rear, one at the front.
This is also a novelty, as NASCAR has always fielded rear-wheel-drive cars. This time, thanks to the front motor, it’s an all-wheel-drive car.
1360 Horsepower with Zero Emissions
The powertrain, with these three blocks, develops 1000 kW of power, equal to 1360 horsepower. The model weighs two tons.
Under this SUV-like appearance, which may shock in a sport that has always involved sedans since its inception, lies a technology much more modern than NASCAR has ever seen. This is also why ABB is an “impact” partner of this project.
“ABB is a technological leader in electrification and automation, and we help our customers worldwide optimize, electrify, and decarbonize their operations,” said Ralph Donati, Executive Vice President of ABB.
“The goal of the collaboration between ABB in the United States and the NASCAR industry is to push the boundaries of electrification technology, from electric vehicle racing to long-distance transport to facility operations.”
This project is not yet a competitive solution, but a rolling laboratory. ABB and NASCAR aim to massively electrify the discipline over the next decade.
“ABB is an industry leader and will contribute to the decarbonization efforts of our operations. We aim to achieve a zero operational carbon balance over the next decade,” said Eric Nyquist, Senior Vice President of NASCAR.