Nissan Unveils World's Fastest Electric Car

Just before the start of the 2013 24-hour LeMans race this weekend, Nissan revealed the ZEOD RC electric car. Dubbed the world's fastest electric car, topping out at 185 MPH, the ZEOD is a zero emissions full electric race car which the company hopes to race in next year's 24-hour LeMans race.

ZEOD stands for "zero emissions, on demand," and utilizes the same lithium-ion batteries as the Nissan Leaf electric car. The prototype is the brainchild of the company's Nismo racing division (creator of the all-electric Nismo RC) which plans to enter it in the so-called Garage 56 class, reserved for vehicles that showcase breakthrough technology.

Launched in 2010, the Nissan LEAF has become the world's best-selling all-electric car. The LEAF won the 2010 Green Car Vision Award, the 2011 European Car of the Year, the 2011 World Car of the Year, and the 2011–2012 Car of the Year Japan. Nissan launched the Nissan LEAF RC in 2011 – a race car prototype powered by the same 107-hp electric motor that is used in the road car.

While current battery technology does not provide the energy storage capacity to race a solely electric Le Mans prototype, Nissan ZEOD RC designer Ben Bowlby believes the development of the car will be an important step in the "electrification" of the race cars of the future. Nissan said it will test a variety of types and combinations of electric motors and gasoline engines in the ZEOD RC before the car hits the LeMans race track in 2014. Meaning even though the car is currently an electric only variant they may run it as a hybridized version.

The Nissan ZEOD RC will make its testing debut later this summer. Nissan's assault on the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hour will again target victory in the P2 class with 15 of the 22 entries powered by Nissan. In the opening rounds of the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship, Nissan has dominated, taking victory at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps.


Source: Nissan