- November 20, 2024
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Ormond Beach is playing a role in the future of electric racing.
Two months ago, electrification and automation manufacturing company ABB and NASCAR announced the ABB NASCAR Electrification Innovation Partnership, which aims to explore high-performance electric racing and create opportunities for electrification in the sport, from race cars, infrastructures and STEM education. The partnership names ABB, which has two plants in Ormond Beach, as NASCAR's official electrification partner.
And the companies' new EV prototype — unveiled in July at the 2024 NASCAR Chicago Street Race and placed on display the Daytona Coke Zero Sugar 400 on Saturday, Aug. 24 — contains about 150 of ABB's Ty-Rap cable ties, all made in Ormond Beach.
The partnership between ABB and NASCAR is the first step in broadcasting the current "energy transformation," said Ralph Donati, ABB executive vice president. In his 10 years in the industry, he said he's never seen such a push for electrification.
"The demand for electricity inside the U.S. is incredible," Donati said. "... It's been great the Ormond Beach facility because the product they do goes to utilities and high-end industrial manufacturers, so it's a perfect situation for them."
ABB helps customers globally to optimize, electrify and decarbonize their operations, according to a press release. The goal of the company's collaboration with NASCAR is to see how far electrification technology can be implemented, from racing to facility operations.
NASCAR is still committed to the use of combustion engines in racing. But it also has a goal to decarbonize operations and reduce its carbon footprint across its core operations by 2035, the press release states. ABB has become a founding partner of NASCAR IMPACT, a sustainability initiatives platform.
“There could not be a more optimal moment in time to announce our first IMPACT partner than in tandem with the debut of our prototype electric vehicle at the Chicago Street Race,” said Eric Nyquist, NASCAR senior vice president and chief IMPACT officer, in the press release. “ABB is an industry leader and will help in efforts to decarbonize our operations as we pursue achieving net-zero operating emissions over the next decade.”
That could look like making NASCAR's speedways and overall operations more energy efficient, Donati said.
He believes the demand for electrification is going to remain present, and likely increase, for at least the next decade, especially as more manufacturing companies return to the U.S. and companies continue implementing artificial intelligence and opening new data centers. That will all require a lot of power, he said.
"How do we get more sustainable, reliable and safe power coming in?" Donati said. "And I think that's the first step right there."
The ABB NASCAR EV prototype was developed in collaboration with NASCAR's original equipment manufacturer partners, Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota. The track-tested electrified stock car was developed by the same engineers who built the Next Gen car, which debuted in 2022.
Since its unveiling in Chicago, the EV prototype has received a lot of great feedback, Donati said. At the Coke Zero Sugar 400, it was on display next to Richard Petty's car.
"I think it was great for fans to be able to see that and it looked really cool out there," Donati said.
At least 10 of the Ormond Beach factory workers were able to attend the Coke Zero Sugar 400 as well.
"A lot of folks that work for ABB and in my division, installation products, ... are big NASCAR fans too, so it was great to be able to show them some love because those folks have definitely worked hard over the past couple years to keep up, and I think, exceed some of the demand of our end customers," Donati said.
ABB is hoping to use the prototype as an education tool, bringing the car and a driver to trade shows hosted by the National Electric Contractors Association and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. ABB is also hoping to use it to increase interest in STEM, Donati added.
"Obviously, with all this need for electricity, we need more engineers," he said.
More electrical contractors and other industry workers will also be needed.
"We're excited about the future," Donati said. "We're excited about the future with NASCAR and excited about the future of electricity."
