Remember the NASCAR ABB EV prototype unveiled in July at the Chicago Street Race Weekend? Well, it’s the talk of the town again, with Reddit going “Hell no” in caps. The car that could be seen as a prelude to NASCAR’s future doesn’t seem to be going well with its fandom. Developed by NASCAR engineers in partnership with Toyota, Chevrolet, and Ford, the car might seem inevitable in the future. This looks particularly likely to be the case in light of the strain on non-renewable resources. So, does this mean a goodbye to the speed and smell of burnt oil on the tracks?

At Hickory Motor Speedway, as NASCAR forayed into the EV segment with no series in sight for its deployment, it might not have thought that the push against it would be as strong as what is demonstrated by the fans. And, even though it’s made by the same engineers who created NASCAR’s next-gen, its reception looks lukewarm, if not straight off red hot, and not in a good way.

Well, if NASCAR’s senior vice president, John Probst, is to be believed, it’s because that’s the change that surrounds the world, and he wants NASCAR to be at the forefront of change.

He said, “If you look out across the landscape, one thing that’s for certain is that change is accelerating all around us. From a NASCAR perspective, we want to be in the driver’s seat when it comes to where our future is going. We certainly don’t want to be in the passenger seat and then someday get to the future and go, ‘Oh, where do we need to be?’ It’s not fair to the collaboration that we have with our OEM partners if we go down a particular route that they’re not interested in or is honestly not relevant to them.” The organization has its production facility in Concord, North Carolina.

Probst added that NASCAR wants to experiment with different power trains over the coming years and that while today. However, he noted that there is a long way ahead for the combustion engine, “be it powered from sustainable fuel or hydrogen.” It looks like NASCAR is keen on this, as well as the electrification of engines. The vehicle features three STARD UHP 6-Phase motors—one in the front and two at the rear—powering all four custom Goodyear tires, as per a press release. Plus, it is equipped with a 78-kWh liquid-cooled battery and a powertrain that can generate 1,000 kilowatts at peak. Its regenerative braking system enhances efficiency, making it well-suited for road courses and short oval tracks.

The design brain behind the car was CJ Tobin, who works at NASCAR’s Research and Development Center in Concord. He was assisted by NASCAR’s Head of Sustainability, Riley Nelson. “That’s why the education piece is so important: I’m not a car engineer or a car designer, but CJ is. John is. So it’s important that they’re also thinking about the way that we’re thinking about sustainability and implementing that into their individual organizations and lines of business,” Nelson said.

Fans need to know that Pat DiMarco, the manager of NASCAR for Ford Performance, said earlier this year that any potential changes would likely be gradual, thoughtful, and sensible. However, they’re not buying into the idea of an electric NASCAR league.

What do fans think of EV cars in NASCAR?

The Reddit post has a number of nos, and a hell no to the EV. One fan said, “No one will pay a ticket to sit there listening to other people have conversations, blast Bluetooth music like they’re at the beach, listen to PA as 38, 40 cars go around in a circle in silence.” And this is something at least two more fans said under the sub. One said, “90% of the experience is the sound of raw American horsepower, showcasing the dangers of drivers trying to tame these beasts at near 200mph while their lives are in peril.”

In a similar vein, another said, “It’s not just smell and sound. It’s charge time unless you can fully charge a battery in less than 20 seconds. I highly doubt an electric NASCAR can go 400 to 600 miles on a charge whilst also going 190 mph.” The current car produces a unique sound, a “deep-throated V8,” that fans love. Martin Truex Jr. once called it deeper and badass. It’s like a thunderous roar that hits one’s bones—the smell of acrid.

Currently, there is one prototype, which former Cup driver David Ragan has tested on various occasions. His efforts have resulted in lap times at Martinsville Speedway that are comparable to those of contemporary Cup cars. However, the series in which it would be deployed is not set yet. Fans are asking for a different series for it to be used in. One said, “I think a separate series is totally possible and also intriguing. No need to integrate it into the current series. Much like F1, F2, and so on exist separate to FE.” Even NASCAR has different series like Craftsmen Truck Series, Arca, and Xfinity Series. But, if the car is used in one of these, another question arises. Won’t it be detrimental to the drivers who want to get promoted to the upper Series?

It’s still uncertain if additional developments will follow. But, fans’ confidence in NASCAR seemed low on the thread. One fan literally said, “This is NASCAR we’re talking about. So they’ll probably do something truly stupid like replace the Xfinity Series with an electric SUV series.” It’s worth noting here that fans are upset with NASCAR over a couple of things. For example, the playoff system, race timing, and short-track packages, among other things.

Do you think NASCAR’s work in developing and using EVs in the sport will move stock-car racing toward the future?