Nissan Zeod RC

The Nissan ZEOD RC was a hybrid electric racing car that competed as the prototype from “Garage 56” entry at the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

The ZEOD RC was designed by Ben Bowlby. Bowlby had worked for DeltaWing LLC, a Chip Ganassi company created to develop a concept race car for the IndyCar Series’ post-2012 chassis. When IndyCar awarded the tender to the Dallara DW12, Bowlby – working for DeltaWing Project 56 LLC, a consortium led by Don Panoz – adapted the DeltaWing design to race at Le Mans. Nissan Motor Company provided an engine for the Le Mans-specification DeltaWing, and received naming rights on the car.

During 2013, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest announced that Nissan had been granted the Garage 56 entry for the 2014 Le Mans.

Nissan then unveiled their car for the race, known as the ZEOD RC, during the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans weekend. The ZEOD RC utilized a hybrid electric drivetrain with lithium ion battery packs in a chassis similar in design to the DeltaWing.

At the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans, the ZEOD RC’s first race, the car had to retire during the race’s early hours due to a gearbox failure. However it managed to achieve its goals of reaching a speed above 300 km/h and completing a lap at Circuit de la Sarthe (Le Mans) using electric power only.

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