The NASCAR EV Prototype Is Here, and It's an SUV
While it will be based on the Next Gen Cup chassis racing right now, the prototype has changes that go beyond its distinct bodywork.
From the start of the Next Gen NASCAR Cup racecar—now known as the Gen 7 Cup car—the idea of moving beyond its roaring V-8 roots has been the eventual plan of America’s premier racing series. What was once rumored just two years ago is starting to shape up into reality with the unveiling of the NASCAR EV Prototype, and a lot of those speculative features are coming to fruition thanks to the powertrain-agnostic design of the Gen 7 car.
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Initially, the rumor was that we’d see these EVs by late 2023 and even at the 2024 Bush Light Clash. Obviously there was a delay, but we finally have the first of what will no doubt be a series of prototypes, just as we saw with the development of the Gen 7 car. We must imagine that the goals will remain the same: be as fast as the current car and last for at least a 30-minute run for this first phase. With the way Formula E has progressed, those goals shouldn’t be hard to hit.
Flax Composite Body
The EV prototype is built with a partnership with ABB, which also includes additional carbon reduction plans for the series called NASCAR IMPACT. For now, we’re just focusing on the details of the car itself. Or rather, the CUV. One part of that two-year old rumor was the use of vehicles like the Chevrolet Blazer EV, the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Toyota bZ4X for the bodies of these EVs, and the "generic crossover" body proves this to be true. The body will be composite, just as the Gen 7 car is, but this CUV body will be made from an alternative: a flax-based fiber composite. Flax fiber has become a readily available and sustainable alternative to carbon fiber—with only a minor weight penalty over carbon—as it’s made from the fibers of its namesake plant.
Another distinct feature that makes the CUV body different is the return of the wing, a feature we haven’t seen in NACAR since the Car of Tomorrow (CoT) era of 2007 and ending in early 2010—the CoT would last much longer but went back to the spoiler at that point. There are also lighting features on the prototype, but considering NASCAR's aversion to lights, we don’t expect to see a change to real headlights and brake likes on the NASCAR EV Prototype. However, that green light at the base of the windshield might be something that remains to indicate when the EV is powered on or not.
Powerful Crossovers
Underneath that CUV body is an unmodified Gen 7 chassis, which includes the steering system, suspension, brakes, and wheels. What's different is the tires, which are brand new Goodyear Racing Eagle tires mounted to single-lug wheels, required because of several unique features of the EV prototype. For one, the EV is all-wheel-drive, much like the top spec versions of those Ford, Chevrolet, and Toyota EVs mentioned earlier. A single motor will drive the front wheels while a pair will drive the rear wheels for a tri-motor setup. When combined, these motors will generate up to 1,341 hp that can be tuned to suit the needs of the track and driver. These motors will be powered by a 78-kWh battery that will also feature liquid cooling, which will help handle the immense heat generated by that much power output, but could also open these EVs to same future pit charging as we’re expecting Formula E to debut soon.
The End of ICE in NASCAR?
For those worried that this spells doom for the roaring V-8s that currently run in the top Cup series or potentially any of the rest of NASCARs series below it, you don’t have anything to worry about—at least for the moment. NASCAR has stated that it will remain committed to running V-8s due to the configuration's history within the series. It’s also likely this prototype will take some additional time to develop, though testing occurred well before this debut. The Gen 7 car initially took four years before it became a competition vehicle, so don’t expect a quick rollout of the EV, either.
It's not the end of V-8s at NASCAR, but this might be a signal that electrification will be coming to the Cup Series sooner rather than later—especially with the debut of hybrids in IndyCar the very same weekend.
Having experience in many forms of the automotive industry, Justin Banner has done more than just write about cars. For more than 15 years, he's had experience working as an automotive service technician—including a stint as a Virginia State Inspector—service advisor, parts sales, and aftermarket parts technical advisor (a fancy way of saying he helped you on the phone when you had trouble fitting your brakes over your aftermarket wheels and the like). Prior to his tenure as a full-time editor, Justin worked as a freelance writer and photographer for various publications and as an automotive content creator on YouTube. He’s also covered multiple forms of motorsports ranging from Formula Drift, drag racing, and time attack, to NASCAR, short course off-roading, and open desert racing. He's best known for breaking down complex technical concepts so a layperson can more easily understand why technologies, repairs, and parts should matter to them. At MotorTrend, Justin is part of the news team covering breaking news and topics while also working as a judge for MotorTrend Of the Year events and other major comparison tests.
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