- The ABB NASCAR
Electrification Innovation Partnership will explore
high-performance electric racing and create strategic opportunities
for electrification in the sport, including race vehicles,
electrification infrastructure, and energy education.
- ABB becomes a
founding partner of NASCAR IMPACT, a platform driving
sustainability initiatives across the sport. This supports NASCAR’s
plan to reduce its own carbon operating footprint to zero by
2035.
- ABB serves as a key
strategic technology and sustainability partner as NASCAR evolves
its office, track, racing competition, and long-haul transportation
operations.
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 PROTOTYPEThe 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 IMPACTABB 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.
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ABB is a technology leader in electrification and
automation, enabling a more sustainable and resource-efficient
future. The company’s solutions connect engineering know-how and
software to optimize how things are manufactured, moved, powered,
and operated. Building on over 140 years of excellence, ABB’s more
than 105,000 employees are committed to driving innovations that
accelerate industrial transformation. www.abb.com
About NASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto
Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of
motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation’s
major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races
in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity
Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international
series (NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR
Mexico Series, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series
(ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR
Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports
Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar
Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns
Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in
Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North
America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11
countries and more than 30 U.S. states.
For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com and
follow NASCAR on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X and Snapchat.
- CREDIT: NASCAR
- CREDIT: NASCAR
Brad Grantham
ABB
brad.grantham@us.abb.com
Matt Nordby
NASCAR
matt.nordby@nascar.com