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The Interior
Ecological minimalism need not come at the expense of luxury. 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.
The Powertrain
Esflow is rear-wheel drive and
it runs on two motors. The car's graceful proportions allow the twin electric
motors to be placed above the axis of the rear wheels, in a mid-ship position.
These motors independently control the left and right wheels, and so the torque
is optimized to ensure outstanding vehicle stability and control as well as
efficient power regeneration. The motors produce enough torque in an instant for
it to reach a 60 mph in under 5 seconds.
Power for the motors comes from
the same laminated lithium-ion battery packs used in the Nissan LEAF, but in
Esflow the packs are located along the axis of the front and rear wheels. This
centralizes the mass of the car, and thus its rotation point, close to the
driver's hips. These cleverly positioned batteries enable the car to travel over
150 miles on one charge.
The Chassis
An aluminum chassis has been built
around the drive train, taking full advantage of the opportunities that Zero
Emission electric propulsion provides. Power cells are incorporated in such a
way that they benefit Esflow's strength and poise, not detract from them.
Indeed, unlike a conventional fuel tank, batteries do not get lighter as they
provide energy, so the car's weight distribution remains constant throughout a
drive.
The high waistline afforded by the Esflow's classic sports car
proportions allows strong, yet unobtrusive roll bars incorporated in to the
structure behind the seats to safely take the entire load of the car in the
event of a roll over, negating the need for obtrusive, thick, reinforced
A-pillars and the blind spots they inevitably create.
Nissan Esflow Concept: Photo Gallery, Review (1/2) and Specifications