Filed under: Concept Cars, Tokyo Motor Show, Hatchback, Nissan, Electric
Sitting inside Nissan’s Smart House perched above the automaker’s booth here at the Tokyo Motor Show was a fitting setting to talk about Nissan’s plans for future electric vehicles. The mock building was being powered by a Leaf, with the EV parked below and connected through the Leaf-to-Home system. Within a few minutes of starting my interview with Hideaki Watanabe, Nissan’s corporate VP of the Zero Emissions Business Unit, the lights flickered on and the ceiling fan began to spin. For a country just beginning to recover from the March 11th tsunami, being able to pull extra energy from an EV during a blackout would be indispensable. But that’s not why I’m sitting down with Mr. Watanabe.
I want to know about performance EVs.
Seeing a Nismo version of the Leaf sharing the stage with Ghosn implies that Nissan is at least exploring the possibility of a sports-oriented EV.
Nissan is committed to a zero-emissions future. Carlos Ghosn, Nissan’s President and CEO, maintains that 10 percent of the global automotive market will be comprised of electric vehicles in 10 years. And Nissan is helping to lead the way with the Leaf and two forthcoming EVs: a small commercial vehicle and an electric city car, both due to arrive in the next few years.
But more often than not, zero emissions means zero fun. So seeing a Nismo version of the Leaf sharing the stage with Ghosn implies that Nissan is at least exploring the possibility of a sports-oriented EV. And even Ghosn hinted at the idea when speaking about Nissan’s dual (or is that dueling?) roles as both performance brand and alt-powertrain champions.
But after speaking with Watanabe, we’re still a ways off. “It’s about [EV] volume,” Watanabe tells me, making it clear that first comes widespread electric vehicle adoption followed by component costs coming down. Once that happens, Nissan can justify production of an electron-powered sports car. So when is that going to happen? Three to five years seems like a reasonable guesstimate, but more importantly, what form will it take?
The Nismo Leaf Nismo (above) is just a concept and it’s nothing more than a body kit to provide additional downforce and a new set of wheels – a bit ridiculous for a glorified commuter. The Leaf RC – with it’s dramatic weight loss and race-spec hardware – may pack the performance, but it’s far too hardened to be considered for production. So what’s likely to happen first is some kind of hybrid sports coupe from Infiniti, followed by a full EV (see Esflow) that can justify the price premium, ala the Tesla Roadster. But an electric performance vehicle from a major automaker is definitely in the cards; it’s just a matter of waiting to see who pulls it off first.
Nismo Leaf Nismo Concept is a look at the future of performance EVs, but don’t expect it too soon originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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