Nissan offers sneak peek inside electric racer

Nissan offers sneak peek inside electric racer

Following its successful launch as a road car, Nissan's electric vehicle, the Leaf, has made its debut in the world of motorsport, and the Japanese manufacturer has given petrolheads a cockpit view of what it's like inside a race car with an electric engine.

The 22-minute video features a few laps of the Le Mans circuit, where the race version of the Leaf, the Nismo Leaf RC, made its racing debut last weekend.

Unlike the deep roar that Le Mans fans may be more familiar with, the Nismo Leaf emits a high whirring noise, much like you would expect from a turbo-charged go-kart.

Petrolhead blog Jalopnik describes the noise as "like those white noise sounds you play to put children to sleep," but however you describe it, it's certainly unusual.

Weighing 40 per cent less than a standard Nissan race car, the Nismo Leaf's 80kW engine may only produce 107 bhp, but it can take you from 0-62 mph in under seven seconds.

The main drawback, however, is the range, as the 22-minute video is as long as the battery will last for under race conditions.

Written by Sebastian Turkernburg