Blog of RENAULT NISSAN Alliance

Nissan's goal of taking electric vehicles to the racetrack took another leap forward last month with the public unveiling of the ZEOD RC in Japan. This breakthrough electric race car, which uses similar technology to the Nissan LEAF Nismo RC, was unveiled at Nissan's Nismo headquarters in Yokohama. 

 

Back in February, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn announced the company's intention to race the 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours race using electric power. The original ZEOD RC prototype was first shown at this year's Le Mans race in June. The current version has been considerably improved with new cooling  inlets, better aerodynamics and streamlined styling.

 

The ZEOD RC uses energy management and recovery technology that was developed for the Nissan LEAF Nismo RC, the company's first all-electric, track-ready race car. The battery, meanwhile, features the same technology as the standard Nissan LEAF and will be recharged via regenerative braking. Drivers will also have the option of switching to a small turbocharged internal combustion engine.

 

When the ZEOD RC takes to the Le Mans circuit next year, it will be the first vehicle to complete a 13.6km (8.5 mile) lap using only electric power and, reaching top speeds of more than 300km/hr (186 mph). As well as serving as a prototype for future electric race cars, the ZEOD RC will provide Nissan with useful information for the development of future versions of the LEAF and other electric vehicles.

 

To find out more about the ZEOD RC, click here