Rick Hendrick believes that hybrid cars can be easily developed for Next Gen cars. The NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner recently discussed the challenges preventing the championship from adopting electric cars. Although EVs have been a popular topic in the racing community and NASCAR has even tested its own electric race car, there have been no significant advances to make them the standard in the sport.
Hendrick emphasized that NASCAR needs to take the next step to make this transition. He believes that a suitable hybrid car should be established and raced before fully embracing electric vehicles. The Next Gen cars have been designed to be hybrids, which further supports this approach.
Additionally, Hendrick mentioned that car manufacturers are reconsidering their plans to go fully electric and are exploring the possibility of hybrid vehicles. He believes that consumers are not yet ready for EVs to take center stage, and car manufacturers have acknowledged this.
As the owner of one of the largest car dealerships in the country, Hendrick shared his own experience of struggling to attract consumers to EVs. He believes that if NASCAR introduces hybrid cars, this could have a significant influence on the consumer market, as NASCAR continues to be a powerful influencer in the industry.
The influence of NASCAR on car sales has been a key factor in the championship’s success. While the saying « win on Sunday, sell on Monday » may not be as true as it used to be, Hendrick believes that NASCAR still has a significant impact on the market. When NASCAR cars win races, it attracts traffic to their website and generates leads and customers.
Rick Hendrick, the most successful team owner in NASCAR history, expressed a lot of optimism about the sport. This indicates that NASCAR is growing again and has the potential to regain its former glory.