3 manufacturers the electric vehicle could lure to NASCAR
By Randy Smith
Times are changing in America's premier stock car racing series. NASCAR has run combustible engine-powered racecars since its inception in 1948. However, the sport unveiled its electric vehicle prototype at the Chicago Street Course a few weeks ago.
The prototype electric vehicle, partnered with ABB, features a 78-kWh liquid-cooled battery and produces 1341 horsepower. With the current Cup Series race cars putting out 670 horsepower, the EV will be quite a change.
Manufacturers Toyota, Ford, and Chevrolet collaborated with NASCAR engineers to create the prototype. The prototype benefitting the future of NASCAR's OEMs was key. This was echoed by John Probst, NASCAR's senior vice president and chief racing officer, who said the sport ''wants to be in the driver’s seat when it comes to where our future is going.''
But the sport hasn't been shy about wanting to add new manufacturers, and the EV seems to be the premier opportunity to bring new faces in. Here are three manufacturers it could lure in.
No. 1 - Dodge
Dodge would not be a new manufacturer, but a returning one. The OEM left the sport after winning a Cup Series championship with Team Penske and Brad Keselowski in 2012. However, Team Penske were the only Dodge team in the Cup Series. They announced their switch to Ford in 2013, so with no more direct funding, Dodge left.
The most recent mention of the Mopar brand came in 2022, when Keselowski reached out to them. The RFK Racing co-owner wanted to gauge their interest in a return to the sport. Nothing came to fruition, and the Dodge return rumors faded away.
But earlier this year, Dodge released an electric version of the Charger, a street car that could pave a path to a NASCAR return. With the manufacturer's push to electric muscle cars and an EV in NASCAR, a return could happen in the near future.