Chevrolet Blazer EV.R Prototype
The Daytona 500 – the most famous, most-watched race in North America – is a festival of horsepower, and the hundreds of thousands of fans that attend the race love its sights, smells, and most importantly, its sounds. NASCAR race cars are powered by rumbling V-8 engines, and are adored by fans for their iconic soundtrack. Could NASCAR ever go electric? With the Blazer EV.R prototype, Chevrolet is asking the question.
Testing New Technologies
Before you get all excited, the Blazer EV.R is just a prototype, a test bed where Chevrolet can continue to test, learn, and explore new technology that can be applied both to the company’s racing programs and production vehicles. The company has no plans to switch its rumbling V8s to electric anytime soon.
“While we will continue to race our proven and winning V8 technology in NASCAR for years to come,” said Eric Warren, executive director, global motorsports competition for General Motors, “we continually look for ways to improve the combination of power, durability, and efficiency to transfer learnings from the racetrack to the showroom, especially as we bolster Chevy’s consumer EV lineup.”
Racing is, and always has been, a test bed for innovation, and a training ground for automakers’ most talented engineers. Building an EV race car prototype allows Chevy to try out new technologies in a fast-paced environment against really tough competition.
Blazer EV.R Race Car Technology
The Blazer EV.R prototype is built on NASCAR’s “next-gen” chassis and suspension, which have been running in the series for a few years now. So its basic layout and its Goodyear Racing tires will be familiar to fans.
What’s different about the Blazer EV.R is that it’s all-wheel drive. There are a total of three six-phase electric motors that can instantly rev up to 15,000 rpm, powered by a 78-kWh liquid-cooled EV battery.
All-wheel drive not only lets the Blazer EV.R deploy its massive horsepower effectively to the pavement, but also gives drivers an unprecedented level of control, allowing variable distribution of torque between the front and rear axles, as well as from side to side.
“NASCAR and its manufacturer partners are passionate about emerging technologies, and working to remain on the forefront of innovation,” said Brandon Thomas, NASCAR vice president of vehicle design. “With the Blazer EV.R NASCAR prototype, Chevrolet and its engineers meshed new technologies with the NASCAR Next Gen platform, and the result is a powerful, exciting vehicle that we believe fans will love.”
Design of the Blazer EV.R
While NASCAR’s top class continues to be dominated by race cars shaped like two-door coupes and sedans, the Blazer EV.R leans into America’s favorite body style, the crossover SUV.
Working with NASCAR, Chevrolet designers gave the EV.R design elements from the new Blazer EV, and successfully answers the question about what a NASCAR crossover might look like. With lower and wider proportions than the street car, and aerodynamic and performance enhancements, we think the Blazer EV.R looks pretty awesome.
Chevrolet says it has worked closely with other manufacturers in the NASCAR series on the parameters and technical elements of the Blazer EV.R prototype, meaning that this is likely not the last EV, nor the last crossover prototype you will see associated with the series.
GM’s designers and engineers were able to take the Blazer EV.R prototype from concept to reality very quickly, and then employed 2024 NASCAR Xfinity series champion Justin Allgaier to test it at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, South Carolina.
“There are so many things you don’t think about until you’re in the car actually testing it,” said Allgaier. “I’m used to knowing my speed through gearing and listening to engine revs, so I had to totally change how I judge corner entry speed. With this platform we’re learning how to strategically adjust regenerative braking, which has a big impact on braking sections and cornering balance."
Chevrolet’s Commitment to Electric
This year’s running of the Daytona 500 was actually paced by the 615-hp Chevrolet Blazer EV SS, and the electric Chevrolet Silverado RST pickup paced the Craftsman Truck series race the same weekend.
General Motors says that exploring new technologies in motorsport allows Chevrolet to learn lessons that it can apply to new vehicles sold in showrooms, whether those vehicles are gasoline-powered, fully-electric, or somewhere in between. Certainly, the brand offers one of the industry’s most diverse lineups, with everything from entry-level EVs to supercars (including the hybrid Corvette E-Ray), diesel pickup trucks, and more.
As General Motors adjusts its product mix to respond to market demand, and to shifting legislation, the company remains committed to electrification. GM already offers one of the best inexpensive EVs on the market, the Chevy Equinox EV. It also covers the pickup market with the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra EVs, and has well-regarded electric crossovers in the lineup, including the Chevy Blazer EV. Luxury is covered off by the Cadillac Lyriq and Escalade IQ, with the Vistiq and Optiq to come, and off-road extremists can choose from two different Hummer EVs.
