Nissan will use the Geneva Motor Show to debut an Esflow electric sports car based closely on technology pioneered in the production Nissan LEAF.
Nissan says the Esflow concept has been created from the ground up as a pure electric vehicle, to give an idea how an electric car of the future might look.
The rear-wheel-drive Nissan Esflow is powered by a pair of electric motors — and by having each motor power a single wheel, Nissan is able to bias torque to the inside wheel in a corner, much like a torque-vectoring differential.
The motors produce enough torque in an instant for it to reach 62mph (100km/h) in less than 5 seconds.
The Nissan Esflow uses lightweight Aluminum chassis, composite body and the same laminated lithium-ion batteries found in the Nissan LEAF.
The battery pack, which is mounted low to help out the center of gravity, can deliver up to 150 miles (240 km) range on a single charge.
Design touches on the exterior include a wraparound windscreen and six-spoke alloys with blue carbon inserts; the same ‘cool blue’ color is used to tint the front lights and LED daytime-running lights and the trim on the side sills, rear bumper and rear lip spoiler. The mirrors are replaced with rear-view cameras mounted at the base of the A-pillars.
The cabin of the Esflow is clean and open and weight saving has been a priority throughout its design, but it is still a comfortable and pleasant place to sit. By far the heaviest components in modern cars’ interiors are the steel framed, thickly upholstered and increasingly motorized seats. In Esflow the seats are sculpted into the rear bulkhead of the car, negating the need for a heavy frame. This of course means that they are immobile, but this is of no consequence as the fly-by-wire steering and pedals adjust electrically to the best spot to suit each individual driver’s size and preferred driving position.
The seats themselves are upholstered in gold leather and perforated gold suede while the doors are trimmed in dark blue leather and suede. The blue and gold motif, the colour of sparks, is continued across the dashboard, which is also adorned with silver carbon trim, and features four multifunction illuminated LCD displays.[wzslider height=”400″ lightbox=”true”]