The Mint 400, known as “The Great American Off-Road Race” will open the field up to electric vehicles starting in 2021.

Known as one of the most grueling off-road races in the world, the Mint 400 is a legendary race with tons of history that takes place just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada every year.  The intense 100-mile course is completed four times for a total 400-mile length.

The Mint 400 is known as "The Great American Off-Road Race"
A scene of the action from the 2020 running of the Mint 400

“Off-road engineers and fabricators are responsible for designing, building and testing many of the technologies that exist in modern passenger cars, trucks and SUVs. We are the proving ground for new technologies – because we compete in brutal conditions at a pace that destroys anything that isn’t rock solid,” said Mint 400 Co-Owner and CEO, Matt Martelli.

The new EV class will be open to any and all-electric vehicle manufacturers for 2021. Separate classes based on vehicle design will be implemented in years to come.

“We’re opening the door to any OEM that wants to come compete on the roughest off-road race course in America to prove their tech. The engineers and designers in the off-road community have had a dramatic and lasting effect on the modern passenger car industry. Every truck and SUV in America has design elements created in the garages of our racers beginning in the late 50’s. So it’s only fitting that these new vehicles come compete on the ultimate proving ground on live television in front of tens of thousands of off-road enthusiasts!”

The Chevrolet Performance Hall Racing Silverado At The 2020 Mint 400
The Chevrolet Performance Hall Racing Silverado At The 2020 Mint 400

What is it like the race in the Mint 400? I got a chance to find out in the 2020 Mint 400 last March when I rode along with the Chevrolet Performance Hall Racing Silverado. Even though my time in the truck was limited to around an hour, my body felt it for days afterward. The toughness of the trucks and the intenseness of the course cannot be overstated.

The 2020 Mint 400 takes place December 1st through 5th, 2021. It’s unknown if GM will field a HUMMER EV for the race or if they will sit this year out. We’ve reached out to them for comment.

Watch our video below for a small taste of the experience.