The end of the Bathurst V8? NASCAR reveals electric SUV prototype

Australia’s famed Bathurst 1000 endurance race may be on the road to electrification as US (United States) series NASCAR revealed its first battery-electric prototype SUV racer with twice the power of its current V8s.

It follows a leaked image of an electric NASCAR SUV in late 2023, but there’s no official timeframe on when such technology may be introduced.

Developed with the support of the three car brands currently competing in NASCAR – Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota – the prototype uses a modified version of the existing chassis which is standardised across all three makes.

In place of the current 5.8-litre V8 engines – which run on E15 petrol-ethanol fuel and make 670hp (500kW) – there’s an electric motor on the front axle with two more on the rear axle, doubling peak power to 1000kW.

NASCAR did not say what distance the prototype could cover – at race pace – but suggested its limitations by saying it’s “ideal for road courses and short oval tracks”.

The category’s biggest race of the year is the Daytona 500, held in February on an oval circuit where drivers reach up to 210mph (338km/h) in qualifying for the 500-mile (805km) race.

Australia’s Bathurst 1000 Supercars race covers 161 laps of Mount Panorama for a total distance of 1000km.

The NASCAR prototype’s electric system was developed by STARD (Stohl Advanced Research and Development), the same company Ford worked with to build the electric SuperVan 4.2 which took an unofficial closed-wheel lap record at Bathurst earlier this year.

The NASCAR prototype is also equipped with a 78kWh liquid-cooled battery and uses the existing NASCAR suspension, steering and braking systems – although it adds regenerative braking capability into the mix.

It also sits on specially developed Goodyear tyres and uses a generic two-door ‘Crossover Utility Vehicle’ body made of sustainable flax-based composite material.

It's a move away from the coupe/fastback bodies it uses for the current Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Mustang and Toyota Camry NASCARs.

That’s significant due to the fact that General Motors (GM) announced the end of production of the Camaro sports car in late 2023 but has suggested the Camaro name may return to showrooms as an SUV – a potential rival to the electric Ford Mustang Mach-E.

The Chevrolet Camaro makes up 14 of the 24 full-time entries in the 2024 Supercars field with the remaining competitors racing the Ford Mustang.

The move to the Camaro – replacing the Holden Commodore – has seen the Australian Supercars Championship's ties with NASCAR become closer that could see it follow the US series’ technical and sustainability lead.

The unveiling of the NASCAR prototype came with news of a partnership with ABB – a Swiss-based technology company developing electrification – which will see the US series’ sustainability push extend beyond the race cars to include logistics and other areas of NASCAR’s operations.

NASCAR has set a goal to reduce its carbon footprint to zero by 2035. 

Supercars has an official Environment Mission Statement but it does not include a timeframe with which to achieve its goals.

“We will strive to minimise the carbon footprint of our events, operations, and transportation by adopting clean technologies, optimising logistics, and exploring alternative energy sources where possible,” the Supercars website says.

Earlier in 2024, Supercars new Head of Motorsport Tim Edwards said replacing traditional V8 engine race cars with battery-electric would potentially “ruin the show”.

The first V8 to win Bathurst was the Ford Falcon GT in 1967, with all but five in the nearly 60 years since won by a V8-powered Holden, Ford or Chevrolet.

The category switched primarily to V8 Holden and Fords in 1993, with Chevrolet now in place of Holden after the Australian brand’s demise.

While the current Mustang Supercars racer uses a 5.4-litre V8 and the Chevrolet Camaro a 5.7-litre V8, both making 600hp (447kW) running on specially-developed BP E75 fuel.

Supercars says the special blend – which is not available to the public – contains “more than 80 per cent second generation fuel components which are sourced from renewable feedstocks”.

The official Safety Car used by Supercars also switched from a petrol-powered Ford Ranger Raptor to an electric Porsche Taycan at the beginning of 2024.

In 2021, Dick Johnson Racing (DJR) – which races under the Shell V-Power Racing name – became the first carbon neutral Supercars team and renewed its Climate Active Certification from the Federal Government for the third year in a row in 2024.

“This renewal is a testament to the team's dedication, innovation, and leadership in driving positive change within the industry,” said Supercars CEO Shane Howard in a statement.

“We're proud to support their ongoing efforts as we collectively strive for a sustainable future in motor racing.”