Shock: Electric NASCAR Cup Series car revealed

Joe Gibbs Racing won't be taking it to the track

NASCAR is going electric, eventually.

The racing series has been investigating the hybridization of its Cup Series as well as developing an all-electric vehicle.

No official plans have been announced, but there is one electric car already in operation.

Just don't expect to see it at the track.

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Joe Gibbs Racing uses its converted Cup Series car for pit stop practice. (Joe Gibbs Racing)

Joe Gibbs Racing has converted one of its Toyota Camry cars with an electric powertrain for a very specific reason. The car is used to practice pit stops at the team's headquarters.

The Joe Gibbs Racing Cup Series Toyota Camry runs on electric power. (Joe Gibbs Racing)

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A Joe Gibbs Racing spokesman told Fox News Digital that it is equipped with two NetGain Motors HyPer 9 electric motors, which are used in forklifts and other commercial vehicles, but also marketed for electric street and racing car conversions.

The car uses two NGM Hyper 9 motors. (Joe Gibbs Racing)

The Camry has a 480-pound battery pack with enough charge for 100 miles of driving, but the car is only geared to reach 55 mph. That's fine, because it is the maximum pit lane speed limit in NASCAR, which is as low as 30 mph on the short tracks.

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The electric drive means the team doesn't need to waste fuel or have another loud engine running while the pit crew practices, and they've definitely put it to good use.

Kyle Busch's pit crew set the record for fastest four-tire change in 2022. (Joe Gibbs Racing)

The team developed a new pit stop strategy this season that involved the rear tire changer passing in front of the car to get to the far side, rather than waiting for it to stop and going around the back, and used it to set a record four-tire change time of 8.96 seconds at Kansas in May, which was about three seconds quicker than a typical stop.

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While it's unlikely the NASCAR Cup Series will go all-electric anytime soon, due to the weight of the batteries and charging time that would be required to cover the current race distances, documents surfaced this summer that suggested a six-race, electric demonstration series could be launched as early as next year with 1,000 horsepower cars competing in 30-minute events.

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