“We are so screwed” - Fans react as Insider reveals NASCAR’s Chevrolet made EV prototype

Bob Pockrass posted on his X account the Chevrolet EV prototype 'Blazer' that NASCAR will be using to test electric vehicles in the competition. With a Next Gen modified chassis, 615 horsepower, and 650 lb-ft of torque, the Blazer will be able to go from zero to sixty in just over three seconds (3.4s)

Regardless of the specs, the sport's fanbase on X didn't seem to like the model or the decision by NASCAR's officials to introduce EVs to the competition: the Blazer will be the pace car for The Daytona 500 on Sunday. This will mark a historic milestone for the circuit, as it's always been a combustion-engine-dominated sport.

"Chevrolet’s EV NASCAR Blazer prototype that is a modified Next Gen chassis. This will be what it uses in testing anything NASCAR-related when it comes to electric vehicle," wrote Bob Pockrass on X.

People's reactions went far and wide to express their thoughts on the prototype:

"We are so screwed haha," wrote one fan.

"If the death of NASCAR was a picture," this fan saw the introduction of EVs as a big issue.

These reactions may come from a series of concerns, the most probable being traditionalist views: as a fuel-based sport, the introduction of EVs might be seen as a deviation from the traditional racing experience.

"What’s next? NASCAR on bicycles?" this fan felt there's no point in having this competition without fuel engines.

"I know people are hating on it, but these look really cool. Don’t want them in cup though," another fan wrote.

This type of concerns may be generated because of the acoustic factor of experiencing stock-car races: exhausts produce a certain sound that fans have come to love and yearn for. Some may feel that a transition to EVs will forfeit this feature.

"If it had a turbo hybrid engine it wouldn’t be so bad," another fan opined.

"They 1000% lose me with electric racecars. I don't care about what the manufacturers want. They could do hybrid and I wouldn't care but this a no for me," another fan claimed.

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There are still no plans for actual NASCAR EV races

Although race officials haven't said anything about incorporating EVs into actual races, other prototypes have been tested, and their mere existence may suggest a change in the status quo.

"(The prototype) brings with it no series on the horizon and no concrete plan for what electrified racing may look like through the lens of NASCAR yet," said a post on NASCAR's official website in July 2024.

EVs are a solid reality and the future of transportation, how much and how soon motorsports might embrace them remains to be seen, but for now, many enthusiasts are not happy about them.