Ford just lately launched a prototype Mustang Mach-E electrical SUV particularly designed for NASCAR racing. This unveiling came about throughout a preview occasion targeted on the automaker’s motorsports plans for 2025. Whereas it bears the Mach-E identify, this prototype shares little or no with the usual Mach-E highway car. As an alternative, it melds Mach-E styled bodywork with a carbon-fiber tub chassis and a number of other components from present NASCAR Cup Sequence race vehicles, together with parts like suspension, brakes, steering, and wheels.
Geared up with three motors, this electrical race automotive’s energy output stays undisclosed, powered by a 78-kWh battery pack that sits between the 72-kWh Commonplace Vary and 91-kWh Prolonged Vary battery choices presently obtainable within the Mach-E lineup.
NASCAR’s Cup Sequence is the head of its racing hierarchy, traditionally showcasing purpose-built race vehicles with massive, gas-guzzling V-8 engines, characterised by excessive noise ranges and emissions. Preliminary photos launched by Ford alongside the prototype characteristic dramatic tire smoke, underscoring the sequence’ conventional facets. Whereas hybrid automobiles for NASCAR have been introduced in earlier years, they aren’t anticipated till 2027 on the earliest.
True to NASCAR’s origins, the sequence could also be often known as the “Nationwide Affiliation for Inventory Automotive Auto Racing,” however in actuality, the automobiles are removed from inventory. They’re tailor-made to satisfy the particular guidelines of the sequence whereas adopting a glance paying homage to commercially obtainable vehicles.
The specs of the three-motor powertrain and the 78-kWh battery pack align with these of an earlier electrical SUV prototype that NASCAR first showcased in 2023, which additionally emphasised sustainable bodywork comprised of flax. This prototype signaled a possible shift towards eco-friendlier practices within the sequence, aligning with a carbon-emission discount purpose established earlier this yr. Notably, all automakers within the present Cup Sequence market promote electrical SUVs, together with Ford’s Mach-E, Chevrolet’s Blazer EV, and Toyota’s bZ4X, facilitating a easy transition if wanted.
Though NASCAR has not confirmed any timeline for adopting electrical automobiles, earlier leaked paperwork instructed plans for a separate electrical racing sequence that emerged in 2022. The NASCAR Mach-E prototype provides to Ford’s rising portfolio of electrical prototypes, showcasing that electrical automobiles can ship each efficiency and pleasure.
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