What's Wrong With This Picture: Leaf Meets Z Edition

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

What happens when Nissan re-imagines its Leaf EV’s internals into a “sports car of the future,” inspired by its long line of Z cars? You’re looking at it. Nissan will show this Esflow concept at the Geneva Auto Show, and, based on the reaction it receives, they’ll consider a production model. Though it uses Leaf electronics, the Esflow is being presented on a “bespoke” RWD platform, with a pair of electric motors driving the rear wheels. And the Leaf’s battery was likely improved upon for this concept, as Nissan claims about 150 miles of range and a sub-5 second 0-60 time.


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  • TheEyeballKid TheEyeballKid on Feb 09, 2011

    RWD doesn't make sense for an electric (or hybrid) vehicle - for effective regenerative braking you need electric generators attached to the front wheels - and once you've got those there, there is no reason not to use them as motors as well, so it should be AWD. If nobody has worked that out yet, those numbers were just pulled out of someone's ass. Beautiful, though.

    • See 1 previous
    • Cmoibenlepro Cmoibenlepro on Feb 09, 2011

      A FWD sports car doesn't make any sense. Don't forget that the CRZ is an epic failure.

  • Monty Monty on Feb 09, 2011

    Tron!

  • Spookiness I can see revising requirements for newer vehicles, like 3 years, but not for older. I live in a state with safety inspections next to a state without, within a common metro-area commute "shed." Besides the fact that the non-inspection state has a lot of criminals to begin with, they're poorer, less educated, have a lot of paper-tag shady dealers, very lax law enforcement of any kind, and not much of a culture of car maintenance. It's all of their janky hoopties dead or burning on the side of the road every mile that farks up the commute for the rest of us. Having a car inspected just once a year is a minimal price of civilization, and at least is some basic defense against some of the brake-less, rusted-out heaps that show up on YouTubes "Just Rolled In."
  • Pippin Republicans Senators - "We refuse to support your nomination because you don't have a background in traffic safety! That's the priority!"Biden nominates someone with a background in traffic safetyRepublican Senators - "This new nominee is totally unacceptable! They're in favor of new regulations to improve traffic safety! We need big government out of (men's) lives!"
  • David S. 4.4L Twin turbo, thanks BMW!
  • Ajla "a brake upgrade"Unless you are racing it I doubt that is needed. Stopping from 85mph with 700hp isn't much more taxing than stopping from 85mph with 400hp. And the F-150's brakes are already capable of stopping with a 9000lb trailer.
  • MaintenanceCosts Great, a clumsy truck that can go faster without any commensurate upgrades in stopping or turning ability. I'll look out for these in a ditch near me in the near future.
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