Nascar eyes carbon cut with electrification deal, EV prototype

Nascar unveiled an electric prototype race car on Saturday and announced an electrification deal with ABB it says will advance sustainability goals as the US stock car racing giant targets net zero operating emissions by 2035.

There are no plans for an electric vehicle (EV) racing series, however, as the car was built as a demonstration vehicle to explore new technologies, said Riley Nelson, Nascar head of sustainability.

The brandless EV, developed in collaboration with its three car manufacturing partners Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota and built by Nascar engineers, stands in stark contrast to the loud, exhaust-spewing muscle cars for which the iconic car racing body is known.

But the track-tested EV is every bit a race car as its three electric motors are capable of producing 1,000kW at peak power, Nascar said, which is twice the power churned out by its n ext-gen internal combustion engines.

The crossover-bodied car, which debuted at Nascar's Chicago Street Race on Saturday, featured sustainable materials in place of traditional carbon fibre bodywork. The flax-based composite cuts CO₂ emissions by up to 85%, according to Swiss developer Bcomp.

Nascar vowed last year to increasingly decarbonise its operations over the next decade with moves such as sourcing 100% renewable energy at its tracks and offices and expanding EV charging infrastructure around its facilities.

A partnership with ABB, which is already involved in the electric Formula E racing circuit, will support those goals, Nascar said.

Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.

“We are determining measurable KPIs [key performance indicators] around broader electrification initiatives,” Nelson said. “ABB installing EV chargers across Nascar's enterprise is an essential part of how we decarbonise our operation.”