Nissan Electrifies Rio Roads with BladeGlider
Nissan has unveiled a working prototype of its wedge-shaped Bladeglider concept in Brazil. The BladeGlider is an electric-powered three-seater which, though Nissan doesn’t admit it, is an almost direct result of the company’s collaboration on the DeltaWing race car in 2013. The legal battles that followed the first unveiling of the BladeGlider and the company’s plans to produce it appeared to put the idea on hold. Until now.
The striking open cockpit design with overall wedge shaping is accented by dihedral (aka “reverse-butterfly”) doors that open back and up. A single U-shaped light, following Nissan’s “V-motion” design language, adorns the front of the BladeGlider, creating the edges upon which the tips of the front fenders are located.
Powering the car is a battery-electric powertrain designed by Williams Advanced Engineering. A total of 200 kW (268 hp) is available thanks to two 130-kW (174-hp) motors and a total torque output of 707 Nm (521 lb-ft) is available from zero RPM, which is a phenomenal amount of torque for a car that weighs only 1,300 kg (2,866 pounds). All of this provides a 0-100 km/h (62 mph) time of under five seconds for the BladeGlider, while top speed is listed at over 190 km/h (118 mph).
A 220-kW lithium-ion battery pack supplies the power for the motors and the batteries and motors are liquid cooled. Nissan did not detail the range expectation for those batteries, but 100+ miles (160+ km) per charge is certainly possible given the size, weight, and battery capacity.
Nissan is showing both a stationary concept and a working, driving version of the BladeGlider concept in Brazil.
