These Super Sleek Electric Teslas Could Rule LeMans by 2030

Their projected top speed is 280 mph.

By 2030 the 24 Hours of Le Mans race will be contested by all-electric cars, and the historic circuit will have inductive charging strips installed on a straightaway to help keep them charged during the race. At least, that’s the scenario envisioned by a pair of Belgian designers who have imagined what Tesla‘s entry to such a race would look like.

Jeroen Claus and Fabian Brees have conceptualized the endurance racing scene 14 years hence as part of their entry in the annual Michelin Design Challenge, a contest for aspiring designers. The pair posted their concept on Behance.net, a site for designers to show off their work.

Rather than simply draw a car, Claus and Brees have constructed the world in which this potential Tesla electric racer would exist, complete with charging strips in the track that provide a recharge each lap. Here’s the catch: charging takes time, so drive fast and you get less charge, drive slowly through the charging section and take on more electrons for racing.

The futuristic electric racer tucks the driver safely inside, where he drives using an augmented reality system. Better still, fans at home can experience the same views as the driver using their own virtual reality devices, cementing the connection between driver and fans and revitalizing interest in motor racing.

Naturally, as part of the Michelin Design Challenge, the designers included Michelin technology in the form of the Tweel, a concept Michelin has shown for an airless tire/wheel combination. The designers propose that 3D printing will overcome production challenges to make the Tweel a practical reality.

We don’t know whether all of this will work, but the pair forecasts that their proposed Tesla terror will rocket down the straight at Le Mans at a top speed of 281.35 mph. (Hm, think we’ll be happy watching from our VR headsets at home, thanks.)