ABB and NASCAR Reveal EV Prototype and Launch Electrification Innovation Partnership
July 15, 2024
ABB in the United States and NASCAR announced the ABB NASCAR Electrification Innovation Partnership and revealed a new EV prototype at the 2024 NASCAR Chicago Street Race. This partnership brings together world leaders in EV technology and auto racing to advance NASCAR’s strategic ambitions across electrification.
“ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation, and we help customers globally to optimize, electrify and decarbonize their operations,” said Ralph Donati, ABB Executive Vice President. “The objective of the collaboration between NASCAR, ABB in the United States and the NASCAR industry is to push the boundaries of electrification technology, from EV racing to long-haul transportation to facility operations.”
As part of the partnership, ABB in the United States will also help NASCAR achieve public sustainability targets around electrification and electric vehicle charging.
While NASCAR is committed to the historic role of the combustion engine in racing, it is also committed to decarbonizing its operations and reducing its own carbon footprint to zero across its core operations by 2035 through electrification and innovative solutions.
“There could not be a more optimal moment in time to announce our first IMPACT partner than in tandem with the debut of our prototype electric vehicle at the Chicago Street Race,” said Eric Nyquist, NASCAR Senior Vice President and Chief IMPACT Officer. “ABB is an industry leader and will help in efforts to decarbonize our operations as we pursue achieving net-zero operating emissions over the next decade.”
ABB NASCAR EV PROTOTYPE
The ABB NASCAR EV Prototype is the latest innovation from the NASCAR Research and Development Center team, which recently completed the largest overhaul of the NASCAR Cup Series car in NASCAR’s 75-year history. The Next Gen car, which debuted in 2022, put the ‘stock’ back in stock car, modernizing most of the vehicle’s components. It also marked NASCAR’s rededication to product relevance in ensuring its race cars match production cars on the street as much as possible.
The EV prototype was developed in collaboration with NASCAR’s OEM partners – Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota – and was built by the NASCAR engineers responsible for the Next Gen car and the Garage 56 entry into the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The track-tested, electrified stock car has three STARD UHP 6-Phase motors (one front, two rear) supplying power directly to all four specially designed Goodyear Racing Eagle tires. Anchored by a 78-kWh liquid-cooled battery, the tunable powertrain can produce 1,000 kW at peak power. Regenerative braking converts kinetic energy into power, making the car ideal for road courses and short oval tracks.
The All-Wheel Drive car has a generic Crossover Utility Vehicle (CUV) body made of sustainable flax-based composite. It shares many similarities with both the Next Gen and Garage 56 cars – the body sits on a modified Next Gen chassis, and the steering, suspension, brakes, and wheels all derive from the NASCAR Cup Series car.
NASCAR IMPACT
ABB is a founding partner of NASCAR IMPACT, an umbrella platform launched to shepherd sustainability, community engagement, and other social initiatives. At the core of NASCAR IMPACT is NASCAR’s plan to reduce its own carbon footprint to zero across its core operations by 2035.
NASCAR has made material commitments to sustainable operations across its entire business. Moving operations from scope 1 (fuel burned) to scope 2 (electric) is a critical element of NASCAR’s sustainability strategy.
In addition to the long-term operating emissions goal, NASCAR’s annual carbon measurement informed near-term sustainability priorities, including sourcing 100% renewable electricity at owned racetracks and facilities by 2028, expanded waste diversion efforts, and on-site EV charging stations. ABB will play a critical role in helping NASCAR by providing valuable guidance, equipment, and support in electrifying key elements of the operational business.
This partnership with NASCAR continues ABB’s commitment to driving progress in clean mobility, amplified by the appeal of motorsport. ABB, at a global level, has been title partner of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship since 2018. The world’s first all-electric, single-seater race series is a testbed for innovative technologies which will support in the race for the energy transition and ultimately help create a more sustainable future.
