Nissan's competition assault... with battery

The LEAF electric vehicle is charged with upholding the company name at Pikes Peak and Le Mans

discount new cars  » Get the best price on a new Nissan

Nissan is not content to leave the public thinking that its LEAF EV is some insipid eco-friendly car for around-town commuting.

The company has announced that the production EV will take part in this year's Pikes Peak hillclimb, in Colorado on June 26. Competing in a class for electric vehicles, the LEAF will be driven by offroad truck racing specialist, Chad Hord.

Little will be done to modify the vehicle for the event. Weight reduction will involve the removal of seats and carpets, but much of that will be offset by additional safety equipment (roll cage, racing seats and safety harnesses). As for the production models, the Pikes Peak LEAF will be powered by an 80kW AC synchronous electric motor capable of delivering 280Nm of torque.

"Nissan is committed to taking an innovative approach to showcasing the Nissan LEAF and Pikes Peak is an excellent venue to do just that," said Ron Stukenberg, senior manager for Nissan Motorsports.

"Nissan LEAF owners are fully embracing this new world of zero-emission technology. We believe the same potential exists in the motorsports world, and we're proud to be one of the first on the grid."

Electric vehicles and the useful torque they can produce are rarely acknowledged as potential world beaters in the field of motor sport — although an EV (La Jamais Contente, driven by Camille Jenatzy) was an early land-speed record breaker in 1899. Nissan's motorsport campaign for the LEAF may assist in reversing the polarity of public opinion, when it comes to EVs and hybrids.

"This is another innovative way to showcase the fun-to-drive nature of the Nissan LEAF and highlight that 100 percent electric vehicles perform very well in demanding situations like the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb," said Stukenberg.

Two weeks prior to the Pikes Peak outing, the bespoke racing version of the LEAF, the LEAF Nismo RC, will demonstrate its prowess at Le Mans Vers le Futur — a support race for the Le Mans 24-hour event. According to Nissan's press release, the LEAF Nismo RC (pictured) will run once on the Thursday night at 9:15 and a second time just after midday on Saturday, June 11, local time.

Nissan is bringing the LEAF to Australia in the first six months of 2012 and the company's head office in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong already has recharging stations located out the front.

Read the latest Car games ales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...