We’ve known for some time that the 2014 Garage 56 entry at the Le Mans 24 Hours, the Nissan ZEOD RC, will be making its public debut during the FIA WEC meeting at Fuji this weekend, and the car was officially unveiled at Nismo’s headquarters in Okayama on Wednesday.
“The ZEOD RC utilises our technology gained through the development of the Nissan LEAF Nismo RC, the first EV racer based on the mass production zero emission vehicle,” said Nismo President Shoichi Miyatani. “The LEAF RC’s energy management and efficient energy recovery system that is suitable for racing are just examples. We believe these technologies serve as important steps for using EV for motor sports.”
The unveiling comes just eight months after first being announced by Nissan in February, with the car sporting some significant revisions since a concept version was displayed at Le Mans – revamped styling, new cooling inlets and aerodynamic updates, as can be seen from these ‘before and after’ shots:
“The Nissan ZEOD RC will utilise technology never before seen at Le Mans and will provide a unique experience for the fans,” said Nissan Director of Motorsport Innovation, Ben Bowlby.
“To see the car go down the Mulsanne Straight at 300km/h in virtual silence will be unique. 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.”
It is significant that the company is now talking openly about a definite LMP1 project, and the ZEOD will be used as a test bed for developing new electric vehicle technologies for that programme, as well as showcasing those technologies in France next June, when the car will become the first to lap the Circuit de la Sarthe using solely electric power.
“This weekend is an important milestone in the journey to Le Mans for the Nissan ZEOD RC,” said Nissan Global Motorsport Director, Darren Cox.
“Our goal for the program is to draw back the curtain for the fans to see the innovative technology that Nissan is developing. We could not think of a better place than the Fuji round of the World Endurance Championship for the actual ZEOD RC to appear in public for the first time. We have interrupted our intense testing in the UK to fly the car to Japan for this display for the Japanese fans.”
“Our thanks go to the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and the FIA WEC for not only inviting us to compete at Le Mans next year, but also for the opportunity to showcase the car here in Japan.
“We’re going to let Michael Krumm take a look at the car for the first time and he will join Lucas Ordóñez in a test driver role in helping develop the car. His experience in winning Super GT and FIA GT1 World Championships for Nissan will be a very valuable asset to the program. Michael is also a Nissan LEAF owner and a passionate believer in the future of electric vehicles for the road.”
