Nissan made history at Le Mans on Saturday with the revolutionary Nissan ZEOD RC recording the first ever all electric lap of the revered circuit.
GT Academy winner Wolfgang Reip was at the wheel as the ZEOD RC completed an entire 8.5-mile lap powered by a pair of 110 kW electric motors rotating at 40,000rpm during the morning warm-up.
The Nissan ZEOD RC previously hit its first target during Thursday evening qualifying when it topped 300km/h on the Mulsanne Straight on electric power only with Japanese driver Satoshi Motoyama at the wheel.
The model occupied “Garage 56” at the track – an additional entry reserved by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest for cars showcasing new and innovative technology.
Wolfgang Reip said: “It is a huge thrill for me to become the first ever driver to complete an all-electric lap of Le Mans – especially since this is my debut at the race.
“I used electricity to originally become a racing driver through GT Academy and now I’ve used it again to achieve this tremendous goal. I’m really thrilled for the entire team and honored I got the chance to be behind the wheel when it first happened.
“I actually got held up by a GT car during the lap. I was able to get past and it was quite a strange sensation to go by on electric power.”
The Nissan ZEOD RC (zero emissions on demand) allows the drive to switch between two power sources – the pair of electric motors or the unique 1.5 litre, 40 kilogram, 400 horsepower three-cylinder internal combustion engine.
In addition to making history with the 300km/h electric target and the all-electric lap, the car is also the first in modern history to compete at Le Mans without traditional rear view mirrors. The Nissan ZEOD RC drivers are made aware what is happening behind them through a camera and integrated radar system – technologies that are being tested to further enhance road car systems like the Nissan Safety Shield.