Is NASCAR going electric?

NASCAR cars run on fuel that is 85% gasoline and 15% ethanol, however, in the years to come, NASCAR plans to announce a more sustainable racing fuel that can still be burned in loud V8 engines.

The motorsports series said by 2028 it plans to recycle at all events and use cent percent renewable electricity at facilities and tracks.

It aims to cut operating emissions to “net zero” By 2035.

NASCAR is all about loud, fast cars guzzling gas and burning tyres around a track.

On Saturday, the race unveiled something a little different — an all-electric SUV with twice as much horsepower as any of their current gas guzzlers.

It shows how far EVs have come that even a sport known for its respect and tenacity to tradition is entertaining to embrace new technology.

The only person who has driven the $1.5 million prototype is partially-retired NASCAR driver David Ragan.

The idea was to put the car on the Chicago street course for some fast laps on Sunday morning.

Ragan said the sound and smell were unlike anything he ever experienced since first entering the racetrack at the age of 11.

He said he could smell the brake and hear the tyres squeal.

The sound of the V8 engine, the smell and heat from the exhaust in gasoline-powered cars overpower everything else.

However, after hundreds of laps, for the first time, Ragan said his ears were not ringing. “It was really wild.”

Unlike the usual sports coupes, the new prototype is mainly a crossover utility vehicle.

In certain ways, it looks exactly like what one would expect from NASCAR — colorful with huge wheels and a wing on the tail to help the vehicle maintain traction at high speeds.

If NASCAR is known for anything, it is the superiorly loud V8 internal combustion engines that throttle the race cars. Hearing the engine roar, the rumble of every car’s approach, and the zipping past at more than 150 mph is part of the race’s charm.

Executives at NASCAR maintain that they have no plans to turn away from fuel-burning power any time soon.

“The combustion engine is our core product, which will remain so for the coming future,” said NASCAR’s Head of Sustainability Riley Nelson.

However, this electric vehicle provides a way for NASCAR to understand fan interest in EVs.

Riley said they want to represent EVs, and more broadly electrification, in racing as cool, fun, and accessible.

NASCAR partnered with Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota, and electrification company ABB to bring to fruition a fully drivable prototype.