An electric racing car claimed to be capable of more than 300km/h (186mph) has been unveiled by engineers at Nissan.
The ZEOD RC (Zero RC Emission On Demand Racing Car) which will use the same lithium battery technology as the Nissan Leaf, has been developed to test and evaluate new electric drivetrain technologies, the company said.
As well as a pure electric version, Nissan is also looking at a hybrid system that would give the car greater endurance.
The vehicle will make its race debut at next year’s Le Mans 24 Hour, where it will compete under the ACO’s (Automobile Club De L’Ouest) ‘Garage 56’ entry - a special spot on the grid reserved for vehicles that showcase new technology.
‘The Nissan ZEOD RC is a natural progression that follows on from the development of the Nissan Leaf road car and the Leaf RC race car prototype. The technologies developed through the ZEOD RC program will form part of future innovations for Nissan road cars.’ said Andy Palmer, Executive Vice President and Executive Committee member at Nissan Motor Company Limited.
The ZEOD RC will make its testing debut later this summer.
Meanwhile, here in the UK Drayson Racing Technologies will be aiming for a new electric land speed record next Monday (June 25th) at RAF Elvington in Yorkshire. The firm aims to beat the current record of 175mph with a low-drag version of its B12 Le Mans prototype.
PMI falls as manufacturers feel the squeeze
17 months or two and a half years - which is it?