Nissan Reveals Updated Zeod RC in Japan Ahead of Test

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Zeod RC had been confirmed as the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans Garage 56 entry for experimental cars before the car actually existed in the real world, but Nissan and Deltawing designer Ben Bowlby were confident in the hybrid racecar. On October 17at Nismo’s Yokohama headquarters, Nissan and Bowlby unveiled the first version of the Zeod RC that will be publicly tested. It will do a partial demonstration lap at the Fuji circuit this weekend during the 6 Hours of Fuji.

Zeod RC stands for zero emissions on demand race car and has set a benchmark of doing one lap of Le Mans of the 8.4667-mile (13.6259km) 24-hour circuit under completely electric power during each stint at the pace of a GTE car and reach EV speeds of over 300km/h (185mph).  The driver will be able to switch between electric power and a turbocharged engine with dial on the steering wheel. Regenerative braking will recharge the battery.

Compared to previous versions, the latest evolution of the Zeod RC has changed styling with new cooling inlets, aerodynamic updates and slight styling changes.

“Developing the battery technology to incorporate this into a Le Mans prototype is an enormous challenge, but the lessons learnt will not only be very beneficial for the future LM P1 program, but also we can use this information to assist in the development of future versions of the Nissan LEAF and other electric vehicles for the road,” said the car’s designer, Ben Bowlby.

Nissan Super GT driver Michael Krumm and Nissan GT Academy winner Lucas Ordonez are acting as the car’s test drivers.

Nissan says that the tech developed by the Zeod RC will be used for a planned future LMP1 program.