Track Debut Set for Citroen Survolt at Le Mans Classic

First introduced at the Geneva Auto Show earlier this year, Citroen’s Survolt all-electric race car concept will make its first ever on-track appearance at the Le Mans Classic on July 10. Curious to know who will get behind the wheel of the Survolt? Well, Citroen tells us that female racing driver Vanina Ickx is the one that will squeeze the power out of the electric racer.

Between its compact dimensions (3.85m long, 1.87m wide, 1.2m high), Survolt features a tubular chassis, a flat underside with an extractor and full carbon bodywork, which all combine to make it a genuine electric racing car.

As compared to the blurry details released by Citroen last March at the concept’s unveiling, this time the French carmaker comes to complete the image of the racing car.

The fully electric drivetrain comprising two electric motors with a combined power of 300 bhp from 0 to 5,000 rpm, teams up with Survolt’s lightweight frame (1.15 tonnes) enabling it to reach a top speed of 260 km/h (162mph) and a 0 to 100 km/h (0-62mph) time of under five seconds.

Survolt’s twin 140kg lithium-ion batteries each boast a 31 kw capacity and can cover 200 km (124 miles). The Survolt can be re-charged in just two hours with a specific power supply, or in 10 hours on the standard 220 volt network.

Inside details have not been released yet, but Vanina will likely enjoy it. The cockpit is "designed like a floating cell, a glass setting held between chrome-finished roll bars like some magnificent piece of jewelery. The car’s generous glazed area brings light and a sensation of space, light years from that offered by today’s sports cars," Citroen was saying at Geneva.