“I don’t think we’re ever going to see that”: Richard Petty on NASCAR running an electric race car

Richard Petty recently shared his thoughts on NASCAR introducing electric cars in the competition. Petty opined that there might be a few 'deals' in which NASCAR can go hybrid or they might use cars for caution flags to save gas. But regarding the competition, Petty believes that until he is alive, NASCAR has fewer chances of going fully electric.

NASCAR unveiled its first electric race car last weekend at the Chicago Street Race. The organization teamed up with Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota and the electrification company ABB to introduce the electric vehicle and gauge fan reactions to electric racing. The Associated Press received an exclusive preview of the $1.5 million prototype.

As NASCAR is currently exploring the expansion of the usage of electric vehicles within the sport, John Probst, its Senior Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer, pointed out their flexibility. Talking to ESPN, he stated that electric racing could transform how fans experience the sport, with possibilities like including a DJ.

Yet, Richard Petty remains skeptical about fully electric cars racing on NASCAR tracks. On his show "Petty Family Racing", Petty expressed his doubts:

"I don't think we going to see that. We are not going to live long enough to see electric cars in NASCAR. They might be one of the kind of deals that will have electric cars and gas together in the same car and maybe like on caution flags and stuff they might use the electric motor to try to save gas. So, there'll be some strategy on that, I'm sure there's some thought on it, but I'm like, we won't see it."

Although he is not a big fan of electric vehicles in NASCAR, Richard Petty supports increasing the horsepower in the Next Gen cars to address current driver concerns, including in short-track racing. Interestingly, the new electric vehicle unveiled by NASCAR at the Chicago street race boasts more than double the horsepower of the traditional Next Gen gas-fuelled cars.

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The new NASCAR electric car has more horsepower than Richard Petty's iconic Plymouth Superbird

NASCAR's Next Gen cars are powered by V-8 engines and have about 670 horsepower. However, their new electric vehicle distributes power to all four Goodyear-equipped wheels, achieving an output of over 1300 horsepower - more than triple the roughly 400 horsepower of Richard Petty’s Superbird car.

The EV has a 78kWh liquid-cooled battery and regenerative braking, a feature NASCAR believes is perfect for road courses and short ovals.

Despite its specifications, during a test drive at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia, driver David Ragan reported that his fastest lap was “two-tenths of a second slower” than in a gas-powered vehicle. He pointed to the electric car's heavier weight as the reason for its slower pace through the turns.