The car isn't likely to ever see actual competition, but it part of the “NASCAR Impact” initiative, which is the sanctioning body’s platform to advance sustainability in electrification. The series plans to reduce its own carbon footprint to zero across its core operations by 2035.
John Probst, NASCAR’s senior vice president and chief racing development officer, said of the EV project: “As you know, we look towards net zero operating emissions for us by 2035, so at this point, I’m not sitting here saying we’re going to announce a series. That’s not what this is about.”
Instead, Probst said, the EV prototype is about “exploring what our future could be.”
“We built this car. We put it on track. That is our point, is to learn,” he said. “We’ll have a story tell as we learn. And we’ll be in the driver’s seat wherever our future takes us."
Here's a look at how the EV compares with the current Gen 7 (originally called Next Gen) car utilized in NASCAR Cup Series competition since 2022.
ABB NASCAR EV Prototype -- NASCAR Next Gen Cup car
| -- | ABB NASCAR EV Prototype | NASCAR Next Gen Car Cup |
| Length / Width / Height | 185.5” / 78.6” / 56" | 193.4”/ 78.6” / 50.4” |
| Wheelbase | 110” | 110” |
| Weight | About 4,000 lbs | About 3.485 lbs |
| Body | Generic CUV body styling made of flax fiber composite | Composite symmetric body featuring integral flap systems, camera mounts and OEM-specific design elements |
| Chassis | Steel tubing w/bolt-on front clip and front/rear bumpers | Steel tubing with bolt-on front and rear clips and front/rear bumpers |
| Powertrain | 3x STARD UHP 6-Phase motors (AWD: 1x Front and 2x Rear) | Chevrolet R07 cast iron small block V8 |
|
Voltage Level |
756 VDC max | N/A |
| Energy Content | 78 kWh | N/A |
| Cooling | Water glycol | Air exits radiator through hood louvers |
| Steering | Rack and pinion | Rack and pinion |
| Suspension | Double wishbone billet aluminum control arms w/adjustable coil over shock absorbers | Double wishbone billet aluminum control arms w/adjustable coil over shock absorbers |
| Brakes | Six piston monobloc front calipers / four piston monobloc rear calipers – heavy duty disc package | Six piston monobloc front calipers / four piston monobloc rear calipers heavy duty & light duty disc packages |
| Wheels | 18” x 12” forged aluminum | 18” x 12” forged aluminum |
| Tires | Goodyear Racing Eagles | Goodyear Racing Eagles |
