NASCAR knows that to attract a younger audience they must get into the hybrid and electric car business as soon as they can and to that point they are making preparations to do just that in either 2022 or 2023. Younger fans love Tesla and the electric-powered cars and the roar the gas guzzling V 8 engines is so 1980’s.
NASCAR also knows that its partners, Chevy, Ford, and Toyota are shifting to building more hybrids and electric cars. Fiord are taking orders for their all-electric Mustang Mach E, Chevy already has the Volt and other models in the pipeline, while Toyota started things off years ago with their Prius models.
In a recent interview with Liz Clarke of The Washington Post, NASCAR brass assured fans that the noise of those thunder road cars is not going anywhere.
NASCAR and the automakers believe they’ve found a way to incorporate hybrid technology without altering that iconic V-8 sound: by adding a battery-powered component that, on certain tracks, would complement rather than replace the current engines, which get roughly 6 miles per gallon. “The sound of the vehicle is going to remain the same, for all intents and purposes,” NASCAR President Steve Phelps said.
That will make the arrival of hybrid technology to NASCAR more symbolic than substantive — for now.
Nonetheless, there are benefits, Phelps said. With a hybrid component, the cars would be closer to the more fuel-efficient models that automakers are adding to their portfolios. Ford is introducing an all-electric, zero-emission 2021 Mustang Mach-E. By 2025, Toyota plans to offer a hybrid, electric or fuel-cell version of every vehicle in its fleet.
IndyCar has the same plans as NASCAR and both are a bit behind the rest of the racing world on this topic.
Engadget reports that Formula One (F1) will achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. In its own press release, F1 says its current hybrid power unit, plus some extras, will allow it to move toward total carbon neutrality and, in turn, help upgrade the world’s one billion combustion-engine vehicles.
Today, carbon neutral sporting events including training and matches, are increasingly becoming a priority for athletes, fans, and other stakeholders. This is not only a requirement for major league teams or leagues, but for all sports organizations to become carbon neutral.
