Race tracks are starting to ban EVs and hybrids and it’s not for the reason you think.
There’s something to be said for the instant torque and tons of fun an EV or hybrid can provide, but if you’ve got a hybrid, you might not be allowed on some race tracks.
That means if you’ve got the Mustang Mach E, a Porsche Taycan, or upcoming Corvette E-ray, you’re not allowed on some of these tracks.
Some locations like Summit Point in West Virginia have completely banned the use of EVs and hybrids on their track and will not allow you to race there.
Now you may think this is just a bunch of EV hate, but there’s actually kind of a good reason for it.
See, while EV fires are rare, they’re a lot more complicated to put out. With a gasoline fire, the fire suppressing protocols are pretty standard. There have been enough of them that we’ve figured out how to put them out and they don’t require special equipment. Plus, once they’re out, they’re out.
On the other hand, with an EV fire, that battery will keep burning. The only way to put it out is to completely douse it with water and there’s a chance it can catch fire again. That makes EV fires much more dangerous to put out.
In fact, in some places the response is to pick it up with a forklift and throw it in a body of water.
There are ways to put it out with special equipment, but that means investing in new fire trucks with new chemicals, or other protocols and many tracks simply don’t have the budget for it.
So the response of some of these tracks is just to say “No EVs, no hybrids until we can figure a good fire solution.”
Which as much of a bummer it is for anyone who has an EV or hybrid, kind of makes a lot of sense.
Summit Point is so concerned about this that if you were to bring your Corvette E-ray to the track, they’re going to require you to park 30 feet away from the building and any other cars.
Other tracks like Atlanta Motorsports Park are completely embracing EVs, even going so far as to being one of the first to install chargers at the track saying “Electric vehicles are the future of racing”.
So what do you think about this rule? Should they be allowed? Should they be banned? Sound off in the comments.