Panoz Unveils Le Mans All-Electric GT-EV Concept

Panoz and its parent company, Green4U Technologies have revealed a new all-electric race car concept with a focus on a future Le Mans entry.

oi-Kennedy Paul

By Kennedy Paul

Published: Monday, June 19, 2017, 11:59 [IST]

Panoz along with its parent company, Green4U Technologies have taken the wraps off a new all-electric race car concept with a focus on a future Le Mans entry.

The race team claims the new Panoz GT-EV will offer similar levels of performance and range compared to conventionally powered or hybrid race cars. This is achieved by two motors capable of churning out 600bhp with a top speed of 290km/h.

The battery packs are to easy-to-swap, which should last 145 to 177km in race conditions, which will then be exchanged in about the same time as the time taken to refuel a conventional prototype.

The duo of electric motors will send power to all four wheels and features regenerative braking technology from each wheel. Don Panoz, the founder of Panoz Motor Sports Group and managing partner of DeltaWing Project 56, was present at Le Mans to unveil his new concept.

“We’re debuting it here at Le Mans because of this iconic race’s history where the brightest and most ambitious and tenacious competitors always push the motorsports and automotive boundaries,” Panoz said in a statement. “We pushed the boundaries when we brought Sparky (the 1998 Panoz Q9 GTR-1 Hybrid) and the DeltaWing to Le Mans, and we’ll do the same with the all-electric GT-EV.”

The Panoz GT-EV employs carbon-fiber chassis design featuring a unique offset cockpit and a series of active aerodynamics which enable it to overcome drag on straightaways to improve range and performance.

The race team is hoping to gain entry through the Garage 56 at Le Mans, which the ACO uses to allow one experimental car to race each year in the twice-around-the-clock endurance classic.

“Our goal is to run our car in a race, perhaps even applying for a future Garage 56 slot, and apply what we learn to our Green4U EV vehicle designs,” said Green4U Technologies, Inc. CEO and co-founder Jack Perkowski.

He added, “The development of an all-electric race car that can compete with the best internal combustion engine race cars places Green4U at the forefront of electric vehicle technology.”