Nissan BladeGlider previews high-performance EV

High-performance and zero emission will soon appear in the same sentence, as demonstrated by Nissan’s radical BladeGlider, unveiled today in Brazil to symbolise future technologies that will combine Intelligent Mobility, environmentally-friendly impact and sports-car driving capabilities.

“These prototypes epitomise Nissan’s drive to expand its Intelligent Mobility strategy, where driving pleasure combines with environmental responsibility,” said Nissan Boss Carlos Ghosn. “Nissan believes that enthusiasts should look forward to a zero emission future and BladeGlider is a perfect demonstration of that. It’s the electric vehicle for car-lovers.”

The debut of the BladeGlider prototypes forms part of Nissan’s ongoing commitment to the development of zero-emission vehicles and new automotive technologies including autonomous drive systems and connectivity.

Two years in the making, the Nissan BladeGlider feature an advanced chassis configuration with a narrow front track and wider rear track for optimum aerodynamic efficiency and handling stability. High-waisted, rear-hinged dihedral doors provide a dramatic entry and exit to the cabin.

Wheel-mounted controls for BladeGlider’s systems feed into an advanced display showing speed, state of battery charge, regeneration mode and torque map. Flanking the central display are two screens, with the images of rear-view cameras mounted just behind the front wheels, replacing conventional rear view mirrors.

Power is 100 percent electric, with powertrain performance delivered by Nissan’s technical partner for the BladeGlider project, UK-based Williams Advanced Engineering.
Maximum speed of the demonstration models is in excess of 190km/h, with 0-100km/h taking less than 5 seconds. The rear wheels’ drive is provided by two 130kW electric motors – one for each wheel.

The system features torque vectoring, controlling the torque delivered to the driven wheels. With torque vectoring, if the car starts to understeer, it automatically sends more torque to the outside wheel to restore the handling balance.

Two BladeGliders are being presented in Rio de Janeiro this month. One will be on static display in Rio while the second will be offering dynamic rides to media and VIPs.