Chevrolet Blazer EV.R NASCAR prototype

Follows the exterior of the Blazer EV SS

The Chevrolet Blazer EV.R NASCAR Prototype will be unveiled for the first time at the Daytona 500, the season-opening NASCAR race, to be held on February 16, 2025. Three manufacturers, Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota, will compete in the 2025 NASCAR season. Chevrolet plans to field six teams and 15 cars.

The Chevrolet Blazer EV.R NASCAR Prototype is based on NASCAR’s Next Gen chassis and suspension, and is combined with an all-wheel drive system that can be used in a variety of programs. The exterior was designed with the cooperation of Mark Mainville, Senior Design Manager at GM, and others. It has a racing-inspired form inspired by the commercially available EV, the Blazer EV SS.

The floor is equipped with a 78kWh liquid-cooled battery and three electric motors positioned on the front and rear axles. It produces a maximum output of over 1,318 PS and can instantly spin up to 15,000 rpm. Chevrolet is researching and developing a wide range of power units, including gasoline and diesel internal combustion engines (ICEs), and the development of this fully electric prototype racing car is one example of this.

Electric technology honed through motorsports

Eric Warren, GM’s executive director of Global Motorsports and Competition, explained the project:

“We plan to continue racing cars equipped with NASCAR-proven V8 technology for years to come. But as we expand our EV lineup for Chevrolet customers, we needed to put our all-electric models to the test on the track. The Blazer EV.R NASCAR Prototype will be an excellent test bed for continuing to refine parameters like power, durability and efficiency.”

“Motorsports is a testing ground for innovation and a training ground for engineers. It allows Chevrolet to learn against the best competitors and test new technologies in a fast-paced environment.”

Last season’s champions take charge of testing

In January 2025, GM tested the Blazer EV.R NASCAR prototype at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, South Carolina, USA. Justin Allgaier, the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, took the wheel and completed laps at race pace.

After completing his first test drive in a fully electric NASCAR car, Allgaier shared his thoughts on the Blazer EV.R NASCAR Prototype:

“There are many things you can’t know until you actually get in the car and test it. I’m used to knowing my speed by listening to the sound of the gears meshing and the engine RPMs, so with an EV I had to completely change the process of judging corner entry speed. Electric powertrains have a big impact on braking and cornering balance, so how you use regenerative braking strategically will likely be key.”

The pace car is the commercially available EV “Blazer EV SS”

Additionally, Chevrolet will be introducing the Blazer EV SS, a fully electric model boasting a maximum output of 623 PS, as the pace car for the Daytona 500. No performance updates have been made to the production model, but it does feature a special livery and the essential strobe lights required for a pace car.

This will be the 16th time that Chevrolet has fielded a pace car at the Daytona 500, but it will be the first time that a Blazer will serve as the pace car. It will also be the first time in history that an EV will lead the race as the pace car. It has also been announced that the pace car driver will be actor Alan Ritchson, who has appeared in hit TV series such as “Reacher.”

Check out the pace car, the Chevrolet Blazer EV SS, in the video!

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