Nissan to Test 186-mph Electric Race Car

Nissan Motor Co. will begin road testing a new electric race car this summer ahead of its debut in the 2014 Le Mans 24 Hours race a year from now.

The ZEOD RC (short for zero-emission on-demand racing car) will be used to evaluate several electric powertrain configurations. Nissan will enter the car at Le Mans as a "Garage 56" entry, a grid spot reserved for vehicles showcasing innovative technologies.

Last year Nissan entered its experimental DeltaWing car as a Garage 56 vehicle at Le Mans. That car is powered by a 1.9-liter turbocharged engine that weighs only 176 lbs and makes 350 hp.

The ZEOD RC features a similarly narrow, dartlike body with close-coupled front wheels. Nissan has revealed no specifics about the powertrains to be tested in the car over the next 12 months. But the company envisions an electric system teamed with a more conventional power source that could be switched by the driver as desired.

Nissan estimates that the ZEOD RC could lap the Le Mans course quicker than a Ferrari GT, though not for 24 hours. The company says it is working with race sponsor ACO (Automobile Club de l'Ouest) in hopes of eventually allowing electrified powertrains in the piston-powered LM P1 race cars that compete at Le Mans.

The ZEOD RC is being developed by a team led by Ben Bowlby, who has been appointed Nissan's director of motorsport innovation. He formerly worked on the DeltaWing project.