Following eight months of development, design and construction, Nissan’s radical ZEOD RC electric racecar was unveiled this week at Nismo’s headquarters in Yokohama, Japan.
It’s not the first time the ZEOD RC was showcased, as a prototype version was on display at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours race. However, compared to that initial version, the finished racer features an evolution of the design featuring revamped styling, new cooling inlets and aerodynamic updates.
The big news, however, is that the ZEOD RC won’t be all electric after all, since it will also feature “a small lightweight turbocharged internal combustion engine,” according to the release. No other details were provided regarding the range extender engine. The racecar shares the same battery technology as the Nissan Leaf that allows recharging via regenerative braking.
The Zero Emissions on Demand (ZEOD) racer has been developed to compete at the Le Mans 24 Hours race next year and will occupy the “Garage 56” entry for vehicles showcasing new and innovative technology.
The ZEOD RC is a test bed to develop new electric technologies for Nissan’s future LMP1 (Le Mans Prototype Class 1) program and will become the first car to complete an entire race lap of the 8.5-mile (13.7-km) Le Mans circuit on electric power alone. Nissan says the car will reach speed of over 300 km/h (185 mph) and lap the circuit faster than an LM GTE car.
The Nissan ZEOD RC will be on display in the paddock of the Fuji circuit this weekend, where the 6 Hours of Fuji race counting for the FIA World Endurance Championship will be held.
By Dan Mihalascu
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