Ford yesterday unveiled a Mach-E prototype designed for the American NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) racing series.
There are, to observant eyes, differences with the electric SUV found at Ford dealers. In fact, while the model has been built to resemble a Ford Mustang Mach-E, it's assembled around a carbon-fibre chassis with components taken from a real NASCAR car, including suspension, brakes, steering and wheels.
Recall that in 2023, NASCAR unveiled its own race-ready electric SUV concept, but it didn't look like any particular vehicle sold on the market. The two concepts have several things in common, however, including a three-motor configuration and a 78-kWh battery pack.

Ford made no mention of these similarities in its press release. In 2020, Ford presented a Mach-E with seven motors and a total output of 1,400 hp to demonstrate the performance potential of electric powertrains.
As for the similarities between race cars and street cars, those days are long gone. The models are designed to resemble the production car, but they feature bespoke bodywork and design.

The model's appearance has fuelled discussion, as it provides a glimpse of how manufacturers and managers of various racing series see the future, with a role for electrification. Hardcore NASCAR fans might not want anything to do with an electric racing series, but NASCAR is certainly thinking about its future and the next generation of racing fans... who will possibly own an electric vehicle.
In 2022, NASCAR hinted at a possible parallel electric series, though nothing further came of that.
It’s possible the racing series has been working behind the scenes with Ford. As it happens, the Mach-E prototype shown by Ford was driven by former NASCAR driver David Ragan.
It's definitely something to keep an eye on. We don't expect racing series to swap combustion engines for electric propulsion any time soon, but as we've seen with the series featuring Jaguar I-Paces, as well as Formula E, parallel series are possible, paving the way for an all-electric future for motor racing... one day.

