Nismo RC Electric Race Car

SEPTEMBER 03, 2013

The World's First 100% Electric Race Car, based on Nissan LEAF Technology

You’re looking at the future of automobile racing. It doesn’t have an engine, uses no gas, and instead of roaring around the track, glides almost silently by. It’s the world’s first 100% electric, no tailpipe, track-ready race car – the NISMO RC.

Like the production Nissan LEAF^® on which it’s based, the NISMO RC (RC stands for “Racing Competition”) is powered by electricity, stored in its revolutionary lithium-ion batteries. The long, up-sloping headlights are also pure LEAF, but that’s where the family resemblance ends.

The NISMO RC has no trunk, no rear doors or seats, carpets, navi or any other conventional amenities.

To lighten it, the 3-piece body is manufactured from carbon-fiber. The silhouette is low and wide, and the massive tail is designed to create significant downforce, keeping the car stable and glued to the track.

In terms of performance, you’re not likely to see it on many tracks just yet. Though it has 100% instant torque just like the LEAF, the NISMO RC’s sustainable performance capabilities are still being developed. For now, demonstrations at select events will be the only way to see it in action.

See the NISMO RC in Action

The NISMO RC’s 100% electric drivetrain needs no oxygen, so it can maintain peak performance levels even at high altitudes where thin air really degrades the effectiveness of combustion engines.

Presently, the NISMO RC is in Europe but keep an eye out for its return to the United States this September.

So, will it change today’s racing game? Maybe not, but it will change how the game is played. Electric racing classes are already springing up, most recently at the Pike’s Peak hillclimb where Chad Hord raced his Nissan LEAF to victory. In other words, it’s just a matter of time before "the new car" becomes "the new race car".