Note: The Penske Entertainment editorial staff is looking back at the 10 biggest moments of 2024 in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in this year-end series, with one installment appearing on the site per day in countdown fashion from Dec. 22-31.
A new era of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES made a successful debut in July with hybrid technology in use for the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Presented by the 2025 Civic Hybrid, and it led to increased competition.
Twelve of the 14 on-track passing records set in 2024 happened with the hybrid technology in place. Additional horsepower was available to drivers on the oval tracks for the first time, with passing records achieved at World Wide Technology Raceway, the Milwaukee Mile and Nashville Superspeedway. At Portland International Raceway, a road course, 71 percent of the passes were a result of the hybrid power unit.
On road and street courses, the hybrid assist is now used in conjunction with Push to Pass, which combined offers an additional 120-plus horsepower. That pushed the horsepower of the NTT INDYCAR SERIES machinery to more than 800 for the first time in two decades.
The innovative hybrid system is comprised of a low voltage (48V) Motor Generator Unit (MGU) and Energy Storage System (ESS) consisting of 20 ultracapacitors and both fit inside the bellhousing located between the Chevrolet and Honda INDYCAR SERIES internal combustion engine and the gearbox.
The introduction and continued use of the hybrid system through the rest of the season allowed the NTT INDYCAR SERIES to join other global motorsports series like Formula E, which is all electric, IMSA's WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship using hybrid power. Hybrid technology could be instrumental in INDYCAR securing additional manufacturers for the future.
The hybrid unit has been a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the engine manufacturers in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. During regeneration, acting on the clutch shaft, the Motor Generator Unit (MGU) developed by Chevrolet/Ilmor builds power to be stored in the Energy Storage System (ESS) developed by Honda. The additional horsepower is deployed through the same motor generator on drivers’ demand. The deployment is available through a latching button similar to the existing Push to Pass system.
The engine was initially paired and tested with hybrid power in August 2023 at Sebring International Raceway. In just 10 months, 32,699 miles were successfully completed among 31 NTT INDYCAR SERIES drivers in advance of the Mid-Ohio race. Overall, 94,244 miles were completed with the hybrid power unit.
Push to Pass still has a restriction on the amount of time per use and total time used over the course of a race. Rules for the hybrid power unit are limited by the amount of energy deployed per lap based on track length.
In competition, options for automatic regeneration via braking or throttle position and manual regeneration via selected steering wheel paddles and buttons are available.
Safety elements of the hybrid technology include the low-voltage system and, on road and street circuits, the ability for drivers to restart the car themselves if they spin and stall the engine on the track. That reduces the need for the AMR INDYCAR Safety Team to be deployed, resulting in more green-flag action.
The INDYCAR hybrid powerplant is part of the greater sustainability program in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES in addition to Shell’s 100% Renewable Race Fuel, which made its debut in 2023, Renewable diesel used in the teams’ race car transporters and Firestone’s innovative and sustainable alternate race tire with green sidewalls made from guayule rubber have also been added to the series in recent years.