Nissan Intelligent Mobility Tour: Dawn of the electrics

As I squeezed myself into the rear seats which were positioned just like those in a McLaren F1, I was told that this is the ‘G’ seat, even as a four point harness glued me into place. I gave a thumbs up, the driver pinned the throttle and I got pushed deeper into the seats thanks to the astonishing acceleration. And even before I could recover, I realized that my innards were already shifting to the left. It was a hard right hander and the driver hadn’t let up on the throttle at all. It was at this point, that I realised why that nice gentleman from Nissan told me that this is the ‘G’ seat. So, what car am I talking about here? This, ladies and gentlemen, was Nissan’s idea of an electric sportscar and it’s called the BladeGlider. This was one of the many electric contraptions that Nissan had lined up for us to give us a taste of their appetite for innovation under the banner of Nissan Intelligent Mobility.

Now coming to the vehicles, Nissan had lined up the above-mentioned BladeGlider, the LEAF Nismo RC, e-POWER, Mobility Concept and the Nissan Serena ProPILOT – the last two being the most important ones in Nissan’s line-up. The location chosen to drive these eco-friendly beauties was the beautiful Sodegaura Forest Raceway located right in the middle of a forest.

If you’ve seen the cute Renault Twizy, you’ll surely love this Mobility concept vehicle too. The car is a purely electric, futuristic urban vehicle which was developed in response to rising numbers of senior citizens and single-member households, along with increasing use of automobiles for short-distance trips by up to two people in urban environments.

We were given a short and twisty course to try out the car’s easy maneuverability and parking and we absolutely loved it. The steering did take a little effort but other than that, it had enough pep and not to mention lively handling for its intended purpose. The car is powered by a 6.1KWh lithium-ion battery, with the motor neatly located at the rear, driving the rear wheels. It is just 2.32m in length and 1.19m wide, making it ideal for agile urban driving. With a 100km range for each charge, we think this would be ideal for Indian conditions as well.

All of us love race cars. So you can’t blame us if we had our tongues drooling and our eyes going boing(!) at the sight of the Leaf Nismo RC. This beautiful creation is a bespoke track-ready carbon fiber prototype with a 100 per cent zero-emission lithium-ion powertrain. Naturally, since it’s a race car, it’s a completely stripped-down version of its road-going version. 

Powered by a lithium-ion battery composed of 48 compact modules and a high-response 80kW AC synchronous motor that generates 107bhp and 280Nm of torque, the car can be charged up to 80 per cent of its full capacity in 30 minutes using the CHAdeMO quick charging port located inside the rear cowl. And it’s quick too. Nissan claims a 0-100kmph time of 6.8 seconds and a top speed of about 150kmph. And we certainly won’t deny those numbers as we managed two quick laps in it. The acceleration is pretty brisk and there is zero lag. Racing tyres and a carbon fiber chassis gave the Leaf Nismo RC phenomenal grip and composure around the corners. It was so quick and so much fun that the two laps were finished in the blink of an eye. Do we see a one-make Nismo RC cup coming up then? You never know.

Now this was one vehicle that really blew our minds with its blend of technology and efficiency. Nissan introduced its new drive system called e-POWER on its popular Note compact family model in Japan in 2016. It was the first time that the technology was made available for consumers, making it a significant milestone for Nissan. 

How does it work? The e-POWER system features full electric-motor drive, meaning that the wheels are completely driven by the electric motor. The power from a high-output battery is delivered to the e-POWER’s compact powertrain comprised of a petrol engine, power generator, inverter, and a motor. However, the petrol engine is not connected to the wheels; it simply charges the battery which powers the wheels. Driving the e-POWER is superb experience once you know what’s happening under the hood. Torque is instant and power delivery is extremely smooth. Nissan also claims an efficiency of almost 40kmpl which is astonishing. The e-POWER in a nutshell provides all the benefits of an EV without having to worry about charging the battery and this we think makes for a brilliant product considering the mileage obsessed buyers in India. While Nissan did not confirm, we think this will be the first product to enter India, riding Nissan’s Intelligent Mobility wave.

The Serena had us impressed the moment we laid our eyes on it. It’s a big bold looking MPV that would turn a lot of heads if it lands up in India. But looks apart, the Serena’s trump card was something else – something that had us quite impressed as we drove it around the streets of Japan. 

So what does the Serena ProPilot do? For starters it’s one of Nissan’s first major inroads into autonomous driving on public roads. ProPILOT is an autonomous drive technology designed for highway use in single-lane traffic. Nissan is the first Japanese automaker to introduce a combination of steering, accelerator and braking that can be operated in full automatic mode, easing driver workload in heavy highway traffic and long commutes. 

Application was pretty easy too. All you do was press the ProPILOT button on the steering wheel, set the speed using cruise-control and wait for a little while as the system adjusts to the surroundings and voila, it’s actually driving itself. While we have all been driven around as a co-passenger or in the back seat, being driven around in the driver’s seat was nothing short of an interesting but eerie experience, thanks to the steering correcting itself.

It works by employing advanced image-processing technology which understands road and traffic situations and executes precise steering enabling the vehicle to perform naturally. What is impressive is that it’s not very expensive and is available as a $2000 option when you buy the Serena. Of course the technology is still in its nascent stages and is more of an assistance rather than outright autonomous technology, since it operates only on well-marked multilane highways.

For most people, electric/hybrid vehicles only seem like a means for low cost commuting, but Nissan wants to change that image. With a 0 to 100kmph time of under 5 seconds and a top speed of 190kmph, the BladeGlider is Nissan’s answer to enthusiasts. This unique-looking car is 100 per cent electric with power coming from a high-performance five-module lithium-ion 220kW battery.

The drive to the rear wheels is provided by two 130kW electric motors – one for each wheel which makes 268bhp and a massive 707Nm of torque. Its performance, which we experienced from the back seat, is simply electric and we wouldn’t be surprised if this thing demolishes quite a few combustion-engine powered cars around a racetrack. While the BladeGlider won’t make it into production, it will form the basis for plenty of sportscars of the future.

Talking about the Indian market, the X-Trail Hybrid will be the first of the Intelligent Mobility vehicles coming in from Nissan. The e-POWER looks most likely as the next big step, but then, costs will be a big factor. And why not the Serena ProPILOT, you ask? The answer is it will – as soon as we get better infrastructure, as soon as we enforce stricter traffic rules, as soon as we….