Nissan Leaf EV NISMO RC – Photos and Info

It’s an electric car, with everything that comes with one: ridiculously slow, tiny range and lots of time needed for recharge.

The Leaf EV NISMO RC is actually a NISMO RC whose engine has been replaced with a 80-kW 107 horsepower and 207 lb-ft of torque AC synchronous motor. It’s not very fast, and if you drive it at high speeds you will suck it dry of juice within minutes.

Weighing 2068 pounds, it’s 40 percent lighter than the standard Leaf. Thus, the EV gets to 70 in 6.7 seconds, and hits a top speed of 93 mph.

The design is considerably better than the one of the standard Leaf. The bride racing seats, multiple safety gizmos, a big wing and 18-inch aluminum wheels give the impression of a true race car – although it isn’t. The Leaf EV can’t yet be bought, nor can it be used for any racing event.

The transmission, as in most all-electric cars is a 1-speed direct drive.

This concept makes more noise than any other electric car I have ever heard of. You can hear everything: from the noise of the electric engine, to the noise of the wheels turning.

This car doesn’t need as much recharge time as most other EV vehicles. You can recharge up to 80% of the battery’s full capacity in just 30 minutes. The battery, though, as well as the engine, produces lots of heat, so the driver would need to wait a half an hour or so before being able to get the car on the road.

A base cost price is estimated at around $35,000.