(continued from above)
Nissan has a reputation for creating some of the most exhilarating sports
cars on the market. Nissan has also developed the world's first practical Zero
Emission family car, the Nissan LEAF.
Now Nissan has put that expertise
together. It has captured the excitement of a sports car and the environmental
benefits of an electric vehicle and blended them into one dramatic two-seater
concept: Esflow.
Esflow has been created from the ground up as a pure
electric vehicle, to give an idea how a Zero Emission sports car of the future
might look. Living ecologically has often been seen as an act of austerity - to
save one's environmental conscience sacrifices must be made. Esflow is here to
address that misconception.
Owning an ecologically sound car does not
have to come at the expense of driving enjoyment. The briefest glance at the
Esflow is enough to tell you what kind of car it is: a long bonnet leading into
a steeply raked, wrap around windscreen, the compact cabin placing the occupants
bang on the car's centre of gravity, hunched arches over ultra-low profile tires
wrapped around six spoke wheels. Esflow is unmistakably a sports car, and those
in the know will recognize its heritage - hints of classic and contemporary
Nissan sports cars abound.
Vitally, Esflow is not an existing ICE
(internal combustion engine) powered vehicle that has been adapted to run on
electricity, but a sports car that's been designed from the outset as a Zero
Emission vehicle. This means that Nissan's forward thinking designers have had
free rein to place the power train and batteries in the optimum positions to
benefit the car's handling and performance and enhancing the thrill of driving.
The Esflow is based on existing technology, implemented in innovative ways.
An attractive, head turning composite body covers an aluminum chassis,
incorporating its own roll cage. The powertrain unit, which employs the same
technologies installed in the Nissan LEAF, is tuned to offer a sporty driving
experience.
Exterior Styling
The Esflow is undoubtedly an
attractive car. Crisp, clean lines not only convey the purity of its sporting
potential, but suggest the clarity of electric power. The color scheme chosen
for the concept car is inspired by glaciers - highly reflective solidified
liquid with blue tints in its shadows. Like its ZEV concept forebears and
contemporary stable mate the Esflow's headlights and Nissan emblem are tinted
cool blue. The six spoke wheels contain blue carbon inserts while the same
material adorns the side sill, roof mounted lip spoiler and lower rear bumper.
Blue LEDs accentuate the futuristic lights slashed into the bodywork both
front and rear. Where the Nissan LEAF's protrusive headlights are used to guide
airflow around the door mirrors, this is not needed on Esflow as the mirrors
have been replaced with minute rear view cameras at the base of its A-pillars.
The Esflow's front lights do protect a secret of their own however: flip out
charging points built in to the air ducts beneath.
Nissan Esflow Concept: Review (2/2)
