Ford's Mustang Mach-E NASCAR Concept Misses The Point
Ford introduced a Mustang Mach-E demonstration prototype for NASCAR after announcing its return to Le Mans in 2027.
The new all-electric concept blends NASCAR’s Cup Series technology with EV performance, showcasing a product exactly nobody was asking for.
Have you ever spoken to anyone at a NASCAR race, do you know any NASCAR die-hard fans? They have precisely zero interest in electric cars or any semblance of desire to watch electric cars go REEEEEEE in circles for however long the battery will last.
The Mach-E prototype looks like a hot hatch with an aggressive, low-slung stance and motorsports aerodynamics including a high-mounted wing, front splitter, and underbody diffuser. Much like a standard NASCAR Cup car, the Mach-E concept shares little with the road-going vehicle its silhouette is based on.
This version incorporates suspension, steering, wheels, and braking systems from the current generation of NASCAR Cup cars. Those components hang off the same center section safety cell as used in NASCAR, with key components done up in carbon fiber to reduce weight.
Ford didn't confirm the exact powertrain specs, but it did reveal the prototype uses a three-motor setup with a 78-kilowatt-hour battery—mirroring the ABB NASCAR EV prototype that debuted last year at the Chicago Street Race. That car produced 1,341 horsepower, suggesting the Mustang Mach-E prototype makes the same amount of jam.
It doesn't matter how much horsepower Ford gave the demo car. It will never provide the same howling earthquake of V8 thunder that starts in your toes and reverberates through your chest cavity as 40 race cars take the green flag. That's quite literally fifty percent of the experience.
As of now, NASCAR has no concrete plan for what electrified racing may look like.
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An experienced automotive storyteller and accomplished photographer known for engaging and insightful content. Michael also brings a wealth of technical knowledge—he was part of the Ford GT program at Multimatic, oversaw a fleet of Audi TCR race cars, ziptied Lamborghini Super Trofeo cars back together, been over the wall during the Rolex 24, and worked in the intense world of IndyCar.
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I'll watch as long as the Wood Brothers are still fielding a car!
Electric anything.... NO. They might as well cut a slot in the asphalt and run the power to the electric motors through brushes and have the drivers controlling them with a joysticks in the tower!
NASCAR without ICE is no dice! Electric cars on the highways or NASCAR speedways is a joke. About 89% of fans say turn on the electric cars, turn off fans. It will no longer be a spectator sport no matter what the far left politicians say.