The smell of burning gasoline that for generations of Americans has been synonymous with U.S. auto racing continues to make way for the whir of electric vehicles.

The slow transition was on full display at the Daytona 500 earlier this month when a Chevrolet EV Blazer was the pace car for the 67th running of the race.

“NASCAR and its manufacturer partners are passionate about emerging technologies, and working to remain on the forefront of innovation,” Brandon Thomas, NASCAR vice president, said before the Feb. 16 race. "Chevrolet and its engineers meshed new technologies with the NASCAR Next Gen platform ... that we believe fans will love."

Last year, NASCAR Senior Vice President John Probst when asked about the role of EVs in the group's future said, "We want to be in the driver’s seat when it comes to where our future is going.” 

He also said there is “a long road ahead” for combustion-engine vehicles, so NASCAR is also interested in the possibilities presented by alternative fuels and hybrid designs. 

EV sales continue to grow in the U.S., reaching 1.3 million in 2024, up 7.3% from  2023, according to industry group Cox Automotive. 

However, President Trump's first day executive orders included one that could eliminate tax credits for EV purchases, federal grants for chargers and subsidies and loans to help modernize assembly lines and build battery factories.

The executive order titled “Unleashing American Energy” instructs federal agencies to immediately pause disbursement of funds allocated by Congress that were part of the former President Joe Biden's effort to push the auto industry toward vehicles with no tailpipe emissions, which was likely helping sell EVs. 

Biden’s tax credits, up to $7,500 for new EV buyers, effectively made the cost of purchasing some electric cars roughly equal to prices for cars with gasoline or diesel engines, according to the industry group Cox Automotive.

On the manufactures' side, a study released this past spring by the Boston Consulting Group found they were losing $6,000 on every EV they sold. The net losses were attributed in the high cost of capital in the early stages of EV development, which is factored into a sale. 

Other signs of change include NASCAR having recently installed 30 electric power stations at its Daytona Beach, Florida, headquarters, as part of its electrification partnership with ABB, a global leader in electrification and automation.

Some race fans and commentators have expressed a lack of enthusiasm for the move away from gas-powered cars.  

Fox Sports analyst and retired stock car driver Kevin Harvick criticized the NASCAR-ABB collaboration on a recent segment of the “Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour,” saying that he sees electric race cars as being pushed by manufacturers rather than by what fans of the sport want or what works best for racing. 

“There’s really nothing about a race car that doesn’t make noise that has any excitement for me,” he said. “There is no future for NASCAR electric vehicle racing if it does not make noise and smell like its burning gas.” 

Still, an electric car competing in a NASCAR race appears to be only on the horizon. 

“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,” Eric Warren, executive director, global motorsports competition for General Motors, said before the Daytona 500.