CHICAGO (AP) — Part of the experience of a NASCAR race is hearing the roar of the engine, the rumble of each car as it approaches and the lisp as it passes at more than 150 mph.
NASCAR unveiled its first electric race car Saturday in downtown Chicago, but there’s no buzz when the big track marshal says, “Drivers, start your engines.”
It’s buzzing.
North America’s largest motorsports series has partnered with Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota and electrification company ABB to demonstrate a high-performance electric vehicle and gauge fan interest in electric racing.
They want to portray electric vehicles, and electrification more broadly, in racing as something cool, fun and accessible, said Riley Nelson, NASCAR’s chief sustainability officer.
The Associated Press got a first look at the $1.5 million prototype. The only person who has driven it so far is semi-retired NASCAR driver David Ragan. The plan is to put the car on the Chicago street circuit for a few fast laps Sunday morning.
Ragan said the sound and smell were unlike anything he had experienced since he first took to the track at age 11. He could hear the tires screeching. He could feel the brakes. In gasoline-powered cars, the sound and smell of the engine and the heat of the exhaust overshadow everything else. But after hundreds of laps, this time, Ragan’s ears were no longer ringing. It was truly crazy, he said.
Unlike conventional sports coupes, the new car is actually a crossover utility vehicle. A huge rear wing gives it enough aerodynamics to be a racing car.
It accelerates nearly twice as fast as the best gas-powered race cars and can stop almost instantly. But its lap time at Martinsville Raceway in Virginia was two-tenths of a second slower because it takes corners more slowly due to its increased weight. Ragan said it could go even faster; he wasn’t pushing the unique vehicle to its limits. Risk-taking is for racing, not testing, he said.
Eric Warren, head of global motorsports for General Motors, said market research showed that more than half of the avid NASCAR fans surveyed would be more interested in purchasing an electric vehicle if they were exposed to it through racing. The main message is to be mindful of energy and optimize it, he said.
“We are committed to the electric vehicle space,” Warren said. “Racing provides a great platform to discuss many concepts and educate fans. It’s a laboratory for us to try new technologies and learn while educating fans.”
Burning gas pollutes the air and produces carbon dioxide, which warms the atmosphere and leads to more extreme weather events. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, burning one gallon produces about 19 pounds of carbon dioxide. Auto racing consumes thousands of gallons in a weekend.
The event would certainly be quieter with more electric cars, although many fans enjoy the roar of the engines when the green flag drops.
A group of children, including the children of ABB employees, removed the car’s cover as part of the unveiling before Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race. Dean Radejewski, 16, of Chicago, stopped to examine the car as he drove through the area near Buckingham Fountain.
“I think it’s pretty cool that they’re moving into a new era where everything is going electric,” Radejewski said. “I feel like it might be a little more reliable, maybe a little safer, because there’s less fuel to ignite.”
Radejewski was also intrigued by the possibility of a NASCAR EV series.
“It would be even better to see racing,” he said.
If NASCAR does go electric, John Probst, NASCAR’s senior vice president and chief racing development officer, thinks they could reinvent the fan experience. One option could be a DJ.
“Our goal is to entertain our fans,” he said. “If our fans tell us that’s what they want to see, we know how to create a racing series around almost anything.”
NASCAR isn’t the first motorsports organization to get into electric car racing. Formula E is an all-electric racing series that debuted a decade ago. But its fan base is much smaller than NASCAR’s.
The new car is part of NASCAR’s broader sustainability plan. ABB is now NASCAR’s official electrification partner. This will help NASCAR generate more electricity from renewable sources.
NASCAR also has 15 tracks in the United States, many along major highways. ABB plans to install its electric vehicle charging stations at these tracks and connect them to the grid. They will be compatible with conventional electric cars and accessible to everyone, not just racing fans.
By 2028, NASCAR plans to introduce sustainable racing fuel, recycle all events and use 100% renewable electricity at its owned facilities and tracks. By 2035, it aims to reduce operating emissions to “net zero.”
That’s why the number 35 appears on the black, white and red car, alongside the ABB logo. The body is made from plant-based materials, a flax-based composite from Swiss company Bcomp, rather than the usual carbon fibre composite.
NASCAR is also exploring the possibility of racing hydrogen-powered cars. IMSA, the sports car series owned by NASCAR, switch to hybrid engines in 2023. A competing racing series, IndyCar, will be launches its hybrid engines this weekend in OhioFormula 1 plans to use sustainable fuel in all cars from 2026 under new engine regulations.
Ford Performance alone has built eight cutting-edge electric demonstration vehicles in four years.
“Fans want to have a connection or relationship with the race car,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance Motorsports. “As more customers buy all-electric vehicles, we believe more and more people will want to watch all-electric racing.”
Overall U.S. electric vehicle sales increased 7% in the first half of the year, according to the first figures on Tuesday by Motorintelligence.com. Electric vehicles accounted for 7.6% of the U.S. new vehicle market, roughly the same percentage as all of last year.
Michael Plaster, ABB’s executive vice president, hopes that kids who see the new car at NASCAR events will wonder about the transition to a future powered by clean electricity and perhaps one day want to work on electric products and solutions. ABB is investing billions to expand its U.S. operations.
“In terms of generating interest and attention, and having a forum to talk about this whole energy transition, I can’t think of a better way to do it,” Plaster said.
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McDermott reported from Providence, R.I. AP Auto Racing Writer Jenna Fryer contributed to this report.
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