NASCAR is doing a great job of embracing the green beyond using a 15% ethanol blend in on the track. They put money into this high-production-value ad to highlight stuff they are doing and show it during their races ...
Now they are accommodating electric cars at some of their offices (see news release below). These are all smart moves on a several fronts. First and foremost in America, efficiency and energy conservation saves money. Second, by investing marketing dollars in letting people know what they are doing, NASCAR maximizes the brand benefits of the environmentally friendly moves.
They even have special website to highlight all they are doing called green.nascar.com. Smart. Big props to NASCAR for it's green initiatives and for being smart enough to let every one know what they are doing.
Here's the latest press release on electric car accommodations ...
NASCAR Green Continues Steady Growth With Addition of Eaton
20 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations To Be Installed At NASCAR Offices
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 1, 2013) – Drivers, charge your engines. NASCAR announced today a new multi-year official agreement with Eaton, a leader in developing global solutions for today’s most critical electrical power management challenges. The new alliance makes Eaton an Official NASCAR Green Partner, with the designation ‘Official EV Charging Solution Provider of NASCAR’ bolstering the growing roster of companies utilizing the NASCAR Green platform to validate technologies that positively impact the environment.
The new collaboration includes the installation of 20 Eaton Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at NASCAR offices in Daytona Beach, Charlotte and Concord. The stations will power electric and plug-in hybrid EVs of NASCAR employees and guests. Eaton is a leading provider of EV charging infrastructure in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, EV charging infrastructure build out is critical given its benefits include lowered Greenhouse Gas and particulate emissions, improved public health, increased energy security and lower operating cost per mile. For example, based on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fuel economy ratings (fueleconomy.gov), fully charging a Ford Focus EV every day for a year equates to saving 211 trees which equates to the GHG emissions from five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
“The dedication put behind the NASCAR Green platform has translated into NASCAR not only being the leader in sports sustainability, but in establishing a business model that benefits our partners, customers and the planet,” said Dr. Mike Lynch, NASCAR managing director, green innovation, strategic development. “Through the installation of Eaton’s industry-leading EV charging station technology, Eaton provides NASCAR with yet another impactful way to reduce the sports’ impact on the environment in the future.”
According to a 2012 study commissioned by NASCAR and conducted by Toluna, NASCAR fans are twice as likely as non-fans to view their household as very green – always looking for new ways to positively impact the environment. The same research shows that NASCAR fans are multiple times more likely than non-fans to closely associate NASCAR with being environmentally responsible.
“As a former NASCAR driver, I have seen firsthand how motorsports are not only an incubator of significant technology advancements in transportation, but also a key platform in driving public awareness of the technologies,” said Johnny Miller, global client director, Eaton’s electrical business. “As a leader in energy management and in the emerging market of grid connected vehicles, Eaton is a perfect fit for the NASCAR Green Team.”
NASCAR’s transformative efforts in Green have established it as the leader in sustainability across all of sports. Through strategic partnerships with teams, tracks and Official Partners, NASCAR Green continues to set new benchmarks. NASCAR features the world’s largest solar-powered sports facility (by more than two times), a tree planting program capturing 100 percent of the emissions produced by on-track racing, and the largest recycling program in sports.
Its corporate headquarters in Daytona Beach, the International Motorsports Center, has achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (“LEED”) Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Additionally, NASCAR launched a long term biofuels program to reduce emissions in all its racing series with partners Sunoco, American Ethanol and the National Corn Growers Association. NASCAR recently surpassed four million miles driven across its three national series on Sunoco Green E15.
As part of this collaboration, Eaton joins the NASCAR Fuel for Business Council®, which brings together an exclusive group of more than 60 Official NASCAR Partners four times per year to buy and sell products and services from one another. This exclusive business-to-business environment offers unique opportunities for many FORTUNE 500 companies to bypass the time and layers of corporate coordination that may exist and construct customized deals to help address specific business needs.
This is all well and good, but I hope that racing in general continues to feature cars with big, bad, loud engines. If they gulp fuel,so be it. Can you imagine a race with electric cars. Can you imagine a race with electric cars on ABC?!
Posted by: Ron Ford | July 01, 2013 at 12:58 PM
I don't think you have to worry about NASCAR abandoning the internal combustion engine. Although, given a choice between the current engine and a 1000hp electric engine. I'd be willing to bet IndyCar driver would at least want to test out the electric vehicle.
Posted by: pressdog | July 01, 2013 at 01:16 PM
Off topic to the original post but germane to the comments so far, at last weekends Pikes Peak Hill Climb “Monster” Tajima placed 5th overall with a time of 9:46 in an electric race car.
http://insideevs.com/nobuhiro-monster-tajimas-e-runner-wins-in-electric-class-at-2013-pikes-peak-international-hill-climb-places-5th-overall-wvideos/
Posted by: Chris Lukens | July 02, 2013 at 01:27 PM
All the electric cars really need is a SoundRacer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIZwlMCbHzk with huge speakers attached..
Problem solved.
Posted by: S0CSeven | July 03, 2013 at 08:17 AM
Thank you SOCSeven! I just watched (and listened) to the video you posted. The SoundRacer is way cool. I am reaching for my checkbook.
Posted by: Ron Ford | July 03, 2013 at 09:28 AM
Hey 'Ron Ford' I asked the kids for a V10 for Fathers Day last year & they gave me a V8 instead. It sounds weird in an MX-5 with the top down but it's a ton of fun & of course the neighbours think less of me than they did before..... which is a good thing...if you have a sense of humour.
Posted by: S0CSeven | July 03, 2013 at 11:16 AM
Corn based ethanol fuel is not green other than the money it puts in farmers' pockets. That canard has been debunked everywhere outside of Iowa.
Ethanol based fuel makes engines less efficient and creates more wear and tear. Don't believe me? Try running E85 in your lawn mower and let me know how that works out for you.
Corn is an energy consuming crop and not nearly as sustainable as switchgrass or sugar cane.
But the Iowa and Minnesota farmers have a few Congress people shaking in their boots afraid to yank their subsidies and let the fuel trade on the open market. So, props to them for playing the game.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/new-tests-show-ethanol-based-fuel-can-lead-to-vehicle-damage/
Posted by: Sean | July 05, 2013 at 07:50 AM