- NASCAR is considering an electric racing series
- A prototype electric SUV race car was revealed in July
- The electric NASCAR race car prototype's body panels were made from plants
NASCAR surprised attendees at its July Chicago Street Race with an electric SUV prototype race car, but the powertrain and body style weren't the prototypes only unusual features.
The NASCAR EV Prototype also featured bodywork from Swiss firm Bcomp that incorporates flax, which Bcomp claims is a sustainable alternative to the carbon fiber used throughout motorsports today, with an overall carbon footprint 85% smaller with a similar level of stiffness.
NASCAR electric race car prototype (image via Bcomp)
That stiffness is thanks in part to an inner structure inspired by the vein structure of leaves, Bcomp said in a blog post. The flax fibers used in this material—which takes the form of a fabric that can be layered and molded into shape like carbon fiber or fiberglass—is grown in Europe without competing with food crops, according to the company's website.
In April 2023 NASCAR committed to its first long-term carbon emissions goal and "the beginning of a new era in sustainability for America's top motorsport." That included a goal to cut its carbon footprint to zero across its core operations by 2035.
NASCAR electric race car prototype (image via Bcomp)
Flax-based bodywork could make a small contribution toward that goal with less shock than switching from the current race cars—which feature loud, thirsty V-8 engines—to something like the electric SUV prototype. The prototype has all-wheel drive and three six-phase motors—one in front, two in back—potentially producing more than 1,300 hp. A 78-kwh battery pack, along with regenerative braking, make the SUV "ideal for road courses and short oval tracks," NASCAR previously said.
The SUV body style of the prototype is nearly a big a change as its electric motors, but is more in line with automaker's current lineups. NASCAR is not giving a timeline of when it might introduce electric race cars, but if it did it is easy to imagine the prototype being reskinned as a Ford Mustang Mach-E, Chevrolet Blazer EV, or Toyota bZ4X in keeping with NASCAR's current practice of racing cars branded as ones fans can buy.
