NASCAR Boss Admits Electrification on the Cards “So That New OEM Wants to Come in”

For a while, there have been three primary manufacturers competing in NASCAR. They are Ford, Chevrolet, and Toyota, and they have linked up with various teams. However, one has to wonder if any new manufacturers are interested in joining the stock car series. Recently, NASCAR Chief Operating Officer Steve O’Donnell spoke about the prospect of new manufacturer interest.

He said, “The biggest thing, number one is costs. Particularly around the engine package that we have right now. It’s a huge investment that you’ve got to make in terms of the development. Who’s going to make that and what going to happen. Certainly, now you’re seeing all the technology that’s going into the sport. With sim, and what investment we need to make there still. Part of our job is to try and put a box around that, as much as possible.”

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What else did the NASCAR boss say about the OEMs?

Of course, he acknowledged that there is a need for cars to evolve with technology. The obvious next step would be to embrace electric technology or hybridization. Already, the likes of Formula One went down the hybrid route. Meanwhile, series like Formula E, Extreme E, and MotoE have emerged, which fully embraced electric racing.

O’Donnell continued, “Still make it cool, but make so that new OEM wants to come in. The biggest one really, is what’s under the hood. A lot of these guys are going electric, they want to pursue hybrid or hydrogen. So our job is to kind of thread the needle and get to the right place, so that we can bring a couple in. Have some different technology showcased, maybe not in Cup, but Xfinity or Truck. All weekend, we can show some different technologies under the hood of the truck or the car. Have it be a place where the fans can come out and see all the different kinds of racing.”

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For now, everyone has their focus on preparing for the upcoming season. This time around, Joey Logano will have a target on his back as he aims for consecutive titles. There is nobody to scale that summit since Jimmie Johnson, several years ago.