CONCEPT CAR: Electric fun
Nissan to showcase mouth-watering concept of its sporty EV future in Geneva next month.
- Oh c'mon, this is just another pie-in-the-sky concept...
Probably, if you take into account this actual car you see for the first time on this page. With such wild styling cues, it is virtually impossible that Nissan would make the Esflow exactly as it was conceptualised.
But on the other hand, the Esflow could point to future sports cars with pure electric power. Don't forget that Nissan has already started mass-producing the Leaf EV, which also happened to snatch the coveted Car of the Year award in Europe last year.
And last but not least, EV sports cars have already hit the market (not in Thailand yet). There are the Tesla and Fisker brands from the US, the SLS E-cell from Mercedes-Benz, as well as the soon-to-be-launched e-tron series from Audi.
And just this week, BMW formally announced the production version of the 1-series Coupe' EV that was first showcased as a concept car last year.
Two electric motors drive the Esflow’s rear wheels.
- OK ... and how good will the Esflow be on the move?
Nissan says the Esflow uses the same EV principle as the Leaf. But instead of being a front-wheel drive, the Esflow sees two electric motors spinning the rear wheels (drifters rejoice!).
The Leaf's laminated lithium-ion batteries are lowly placed along the front and rear axles to optimise weight distribution and create a lower centre of gravity. To the Average Joe, this means neat handling and good high-speed grip.
Nissan adds that the Esflow can go from 0-100kph in 5sec and can run on a single charge for 240km. That's not a bad performance and touring range when you consider the BMW's 160km-range and more lethargic 9-sec acceleration time.
- Yesss. Will the next Fairlady get it?
Hah! That's difficult to know. Let's just say that a new sports car from Nissan with full electric propulsion is definitely a reality. The Japanese can capitalise on Renault, its French partner, that has already embarked on an EV mission with cars ranging from practical to sporty.
The Esflow has some styling hints of the 370Z sports car.
But who knows? The next Fairlady (aka 370Z), could go all-electric because future emission standards could make the existing 3.7-litre V6 petrol engine a hindrance for the brand.
And if you relish in these first official pictures here, there's a lot of Fairlady styling hints in the Esflow, like the side profile, wavy front and rear lights, two-seat layout and, of course, that rear-wheel drive matrix.
Junior Infiniti
The Infiniti, Nissan's luxury brand, will showcase a potential rival for the Lexus CT200h at the Geneva motor show in March.
Previewed in the Etherea concept, Infiniti's new entry-level car will come in the mould of a stylish five-door hatchback that could also rival the Audi A3 and BMW 1-series with conventional petrol or diesel engines.
Although no technical details for the Etherea were released, it is thought that there will be a petrol-electric hybrid to squarely match the CT200h, a new Lexus that will be launched in Thailand next week, with prices starting at just over 2 million baht.
Nissan Motor Thailand hasn't started selling Infiniti yet. However, some interest in the sporty EX and FX crossovers is claimed to be generated in the grey market as the vehicles could be sourced from the UK in right-hand-drive form.
Credit: Bangkok Post (www.bangkokpost.com)
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