Nissan unveiled its prototype project for the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2014

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Nissan has unveiled the revolutionary and innovative ZEOD RC electric race car with its electric technologies will point has more than 300 km / h in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The ZEOD RC (Zero Emission On Demand Racing Car - zero emission race car on request) will debut in competition next year at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. World leader in electric vehicles high series, Nissan will test different configurations of electric kinematic chain for his return to LMP1 competition and ambition of winning the general classification of the world's most prestigious endurance race.

The invitation was addressed by Nissan Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) to participate in the 2014 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans was announced in February in Japan by Carlos Ghosn, Nissan Chairman and CEO. Car garage occupy 56 of the ACO, reserve on the grid to cars EQUIPPED innovative technologies.

Geree like a Nissan / Nismo project with the collaboration of Japan, Europe and the United States, the design team of Nissan RC ZEOD is directed by Ben Bowlby, recently appointed Director of Motorsport Nissan's Innovation, which has previously participates in the DeltaWing program in 2012.

While the car will not run until next year at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Nissan gave the kickoff of the unique aspects of the program, the chance for motorsport fans to discover the car in the area Service of Circuit de la Sarthe. Nissan intends to lift the veil for her fans around the world and offer them a permanent monitoring thanks to its partnership with YouTube and its chain Nismo.tv.

"Nissan has become the world leader in the development of zero emission vehicle technologies. Nissan ZEOD RC will allow us to enhance these capabilities using the hardest mobile test endurance race in the world as a bench to test the potentialities of our project powertrain for the LMP1 category, "said Andy Palmer, Executive Vice President & Executive Committee member has Nissan Motor Company Limited.

"The Nissan ZEOD RC represents a natural history that is in the right path of development of the Nissan LEAF road version and race car prototype LEAF RC. The technologies developed thanks to the RC project will ZEOD integral part of future innovations models Nissan series. "

Nissan is already the world champion sales 100% electric vehicles, and we look forward to having the opportunity to present the lessons learned from our battery technology developments in the world's most prestigious endurance race.

The ZEOD RC project is designed to develop different technologies and evaluate to see how it could be used for a future return of Nissan 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP1 category. We have different options to the study. The zero emission option on demand, thanks to which the driver passes the electric motor to the engine is a future orientation on models of series. It will therefore tested and tests, in addition to pure electrical energy and other new technologies still under development.

Given that no other manufacturer today call endurance technology batteries for electric cars race, Nissan continues to innovate and to reap large amounts of data and information to assess the potential of groups powerplants for future sports programs and thus maintain leadership zero emission technologies applied to models of series. "

Launched in 2010, the Nissan LEAF became the 100% electric car the most sold in the world. LEAF was named 2010 Green Car Vision Award, 2010 European Car of the Year, 2011 World Car of the Year 2011 Car of the Year 2011 to 2012 in Japan.

Nissan has launched the Nissan LEAF in 2011 RC, a prototype race car propelled by the same electric motor of 107 hp than the serial model.

Current battery technology does not provide a sufficient capacity of energy storage to race at Le Mans a purely electric prototype, the designer of the Nissan ZEOD RC, Ben Bowlby believes that the development of the car will represent an important step in the "electrification" of cars race tomorrow.

"The development of a car as it constitutes a bench essaid'une incredible complexity for what could prove to be of extremely powerful options for serial models of tomorrow. Over the next twelve months we will test different powertrain options in the context of an extensive testing program, says Ben Bowlby.

We have many options to consider and try. In partnership with the ACO, the test program is part of a longer-term objective of developing the system and set of rules to define this type of technology, those would be better adapted to participate in the automotive competition at the highest level.

Nissan is the leading provider of electric vehicle INTENDED road and would henceforth have to take advantage of the lessons learned and knowledge gained to design the new race car.

Our design team on ZEOD RC project focuses heavily on the overall aerodynamic efficiency which, in the absence of extreme performance, resulting in high efficiency energetics, goal of all automakers worldwide.

Much of our work in the coming months, will include a discussion with the ACO future possibilities of "electrification" of the settlement of Le Mans for the future and strive to develop appropriate technologies. Garage 56 is a bold initiative of the ACO to present innovations and allow testing of components and systems not yet tested at subsequent competition for sport. It is in this respect the most avant-garde of motorsport today 'defenders.

Nissan will work in partnership with the French manufacturer Michelin tires that will produce the new prototype. Nissan has already, in the past, combines a Michelin on the DeltaWing program. Manufacturing Clermont-Ferrand holds enviable record in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, having won the last 15 races in a row.

Nissan ZEOD RC begin testing at the end of the summer. By launching a storm of 24 hours of Le Mans in 2013, Nissan will try again to win in LMP2 category with 15 of the 22 cars entered motorized by Nissan. Nissan dominated the first rounds of the World Championship 2013 FIA endurance, winning the victory Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps.

Source: Nissan

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