Electric NASCAR set to debut at Busch Light Clash on Feb. 4
The first fully electric NASCAR will make its public debut during the Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum event in Los Angeles on February 4th. And, yes — we know that it’s not called “a NASCAR,” but just go with it.
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR, natch) confirmed that it was working on an electric version of its tube-frames silhouette racers last year, but precious little is actually known about the car, or what series the car will eventually race in.
In fact, the only things we really do know about NASCAR’s electric race car are that:
- it’s electric
- it’s not really a “car”
An image of the electric NASCAR project car leaked late last year on the r/NASCAR subreddit (below) with rear fenders and a window line that looked an awful lot to some commenters like the Ford Mustang Mach-E crossover.
The electric NASCAR prototype car was reportedly subjected to more than 340 laps of half-mile oval action at a over three days at the half-mile short track in Martinsville, Virginia, with Sportsnaut reporting that David Ragan drove it to “within a few tenths” of the current Cup Series racecar, which is believed to share the same base chassis and suspension beneath the composite body shell. Despite that similarity, however, it’s important to note that this isn’t a vehicle that’s likely to have much of an actual racing career.
“This car is to be prepared for the future. We’re not sitting here today and announcing a bunch of cars for a racing series,” explains NASCAR Vice President of Vehicle Design Brandon Thomas.. “Think of this as a concept car.”
We’ll all know more about the new electric NASCAR racer when it makes its formal debut a week from Sunday.
Electrek’s Take
The next-gen car shown, above, isn’t electric. That said, we can learn a lot about how NASCAR presents forward-looking concepts by looking at that car, and applying those lessons to the electric crossover concept we expect to see next week.
For starters, the next-gen NASCAR concept features generic markings that don’t immediately suggest a Ford, Chevy, or Toyota vehicle. That’s important to avoid accusations of favoritism, but also important from a marketing perspective, as it allows other manufacturers the opportunity to project their own styling cues (in the form of headlight stickers and window cutouts) onto a generic shape and making it easier for them to draw a “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” type of correlation between a NASCAR entry and the models on their showroom floors. As the American market moves away from coupes and sedans, though, a crossover body shape might be a more attractive marketing prospect … and that, more than the electric drivetrain, is likely to be the real “concept” on display at the Clash.
If the public responds well to a body shape that could be stickered up to look like Mustang Mach-E, Chevy Blazer SS, or Toyota bZ4X, maybe it could also be made to look like a Chrysler Airflow, Kia EV6, or VW ID.4, too. And that may be the point.
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The US Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $1.2 billion in financing to replace Puerto Rico’s fossil fuel plants with solar and battery storage through 2032.
The DOE’s Loan Programs Office announced two conditional commitments and one loan closing to power producers in Puerto Rico. Each supports a project contracted with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority. The announcements include:
- The closing of a $584.5 million loan guarantee to subsidiaries of Convergent Energy to finance a 100 MW solar farm with a 55 MW (55 MWh) battery energy storage system (BESS) in the municipality of Coamo and BESS installations in the municipalities of Caguas (25MW/100MWh), Peñuelas (100MW/400MWh), and Ponce (up to 100MW/400MWh)
- A conditional commitment for a loan guarantee of up to $133.6 million to a subsidiary of Infinigen for a 32.1 MW solar farm with an integrated 14.45 MW (4.76 MWh) BESS, and a co-located standalone 50 MW (200 MWh) BESS expansion in the municipality of Yabucoa
- A conditional commitment for a loan guarantee of up to $489.4 million to a subsidiary of Pattern Energy for three stand-alone BESS in the municipalities of Arecibo (50 MW/200 MWh), and Santa Isabel (50 MW /200 MWh and 80 MW/320 MW), and a 70 MW solar farm with an integrated BESS in the municipality of Arecibo.
If all are finalized, these projects would more than double LPO’s support for utility-scale solar generation and battery energy storage in Puerto Rico.
LPO provides low-cost financing and a rigorous due diligence process, making it a valuable resource for Puerto Rico as it works to rebuild an affordable, reliable, and clean energy system. As a result of reliance on imported fuel, the persistent threat of tropical storms, and underinvested infrastructure, Puerto Ricans today face average energy costs that are twice the US average – all while consuming only one-quarter of the energy of the US per capita.
LPO’s initial loan to a power producer in Puerto Rico, Project Marahu, closed in October 2024, and when complete will add more than 200 MW of solar and up to 285 MW of stand-alone energy storage to Puerto Rico’s grid.
Through its September 2023 partial loan guarantee to Project Hestia, LPO also supports virtual power plant (VPP)-ready rooftop solar and battery storage installations in Puerto Rico. As a nationwide project, Hestia’s sponsor is committed to at least 20% of installations under Project Hestia going to homeowners in Puerto Rico.
As part of its procurement plan, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority seeks to install 1,500 MW of battery storage and requires a minimum capacity of storage to be co-located with each utility-scale solar project. Energy storage systems currently online in Puerto Rico are being dispatched every day.
When including Marahu, LPO’s closed and conditionally committed financing supports over 100% of the capacity Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority aimed to procure under its initial request for energy storage project proposals, the first of six.
Read more: Cleantech investments to top fossil fuels for the first time in 2025
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Chevy just introduced new deals on the Equinox and Blazer EV models to make them even more affordable. With 0% interest and a new trade-in bonus, Chevy is offering over $5,000 in savings.
Chevy adds new Equinox and Blazer EV deals in January
Although the Chevy Equinox EV is already “the most affordable” EV in its class with over 315 miles range, it’s getting even cheaper.
Earlier this week, Chevy launched new deals on the 2024 Equinox and Blazer EV models. According to a note sent to dealers, viewed by CarsDirect, the electric SUVs are now available with 0% APR financing for 60 months. You can also choose from 0.9% AP for 72 months and 2.9% APR for 84 months.
This marks the best financing offer on Chevy’s newest EVs to date. The previous best rates were 0.9% APR for 60 months, 3.9% for 72 months, and 5.9% for the longer 84-month option.
On a 7-year $45,000 loan, online auto research firm CarsDirect estimates the new deals amount to around a $5,200 price cut. The lower APR rates are already offered on the Chevrolet Silverado EV pickup.
In addition, Chevy is offering a trade-in bonus of up to $3,000 on the Silverado EV and $1,000 on the electric Equinox and Blazer models. If you choose to lease, the bonus is cut in half: $1,500 for the Silverado and $500 for the electric SUVs.
Chevy’s new EV deals started on January 14 and run through March 3, 2025. The deals come as rivals like Hyundai and Ford recently launched new EV promotions.
On Thursday, Hyundai launched a new promo on the upgraded 2025 IONIQ 5, which includes monthly leases as low as $199 and a free ChargePoint home EV charger (or $400 charging credit). Meanwhile, Ford extended its “Power Promise” program earlier this month, which also includes a free home charger, among several other benefits.
The 2024 Chevy Equinox EV started at $41,900 with up to 315 miles range. Prices for the electric Chevy Blazer start at $43,690 with up to 279 miles range.
If you are ready to try out Chevy’s new electric SUVs for yourself, we’ve got you covered. You can use our links below to view offers on the Chevy Equinox, Silverado, and Blazer EV models near you.
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss non-Tesla EVs getting Supercharger access, Cybertruck sales in the spotlight, Rivian getting some money from Biden, and more.
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