The Chevrolet brand of General Motors Co. in Detroit unveiled its Blazer EV.R NASCAR prototype in the days leading up to Sunday’s Daytona 500, won by Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron for the second consecutive year.
According to the automaker, the Blazer EV.R is an example of Chevrolet continuing to test, learn, and explore new technologies that could be applied to both race programs and production cars.
“While we will continue to race our proven and winning V8 technology in NASCAR for years to come, 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,” says Eric Warren, executive director of global motorsports competition for GM.
The prototype delivers more than 1,300 horsepower from three six-phase electric motors that instantly rev up to 15,000 r.p.m., powered by a 78-kWh liquid-cooled battery.
Exploring new technologies, the company says, allows Chevrolet to apply learnings for vehicles in the showroom. Customer choice is at the center of Chevrolet’s success in the marketplace, offering one of the broadest lineups of vehicles in the industry, from first cars to supercars and everything in between. It also offers diesel, gasoline, and EV powered vehicles for its customers.
“Motorsports is a test bed for innovation, and a training ground for our engineers — one that allows Chevrolet to try out new technologies in a fast-paced environment against the best competition,” Warren adds.
Built on NASCAR’s Next Gen chassis and suspension componentry, the Blazer EV.R puts its power to the pavement via a programable all-wheel drive system and Goodyear Racing Eagle tires. Chevrolet worked closely with NASCAR and other manufacturers on the parameters and technical elements of the prototype.
GM Design worked with motorsports engineers to give the Blazer EV.R styling features inspired by the Blazer EV SS production vehicle.
“This program was a great opportunity with NASCAR to design a new crossover utility vehicle body and bring forward design elements from our Blazer EV SS,” says Phil Zak, executive director of Chevrolet Global Design. “The EV.R prototype offers lower and wider proportions and was designed with aerodynamics and performance in mind.”
GM engineers say they were able to take the prototype from concept to reality, then reliably turn laps at race pace during testing last month at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, S.C.
“NASCAR and its manufacturer partners are passionate about emerging technologies, and working to remain on the forefront of innovation,” says Brandon Thomas, vice president of vehicle design at NASCAR. “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…”
Driving the prototype during testing was Justin Allgaier, Team Chevy driver and the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion.
“There are so many things you don’t think about until you’re in the car actually testing it,” says 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 will paced the 67th Great American Race with the Blazer EV SS — a 615 horsepower vehicle that can go 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds with Wide Open Watts, making it the quickest SS model Chevrolet has ever produced.
A Corvette Stingray was the pace car for the Xfinity Series United Rentals 300 on Feb. 15, while the Chevrolet Silverado RST led the Craftsman Truck Series Fresh From Florida 250 to the green flag on Feb. 14.
