Nearly everybody loves a sports car – sleek, sexy, and speedy – but so many of today’s sports cars are environmentally unfriendly, so what is an eco-conscious driver to do? Nissan may have the answer soon. It is rumored that the Japanese based company is working on a totally electric sports car, possibly based on the already popular GT-R sports car.
While many other car manufacturers are focusing on developing smaller cars for driving in town, Nissan is changing their focus to sportier vehicles, much to the delight of a large portion of the population. Based on the electric drive train we have already seen in the affordable all-electric Nissan LEAF, the new electric sports car would be capable of delivering 100% of torque at 0 rpm – as are all electric cars. This would put an all electric sports car in the running with many of the current muscle cars and sports cars made by other manufacturers. On top of that, since Nissan has already put in a lot of time, research and development to reduce the cost of the main components for electric vehicles, they are able to release a relatively low cost car to the public, which helps more people to be able to take advantage of the combination of great car and ecological responsibility.
Toshiyuki Shiga, the chief operating officer of Nissan, was quoted in AutoCar in an exclusive interview saying, “The GT-R is part of Nissan’s heritage. In fact, since Nissan started as a car company, it has been offering driving pleasure through sports cars. I can’t commit to any new products but, as far as we know, we are keeping this brand, these technologies, and trying to offer sporty cars. I am also thinking of electric vehicles as sporty cars. The market is shifting, becoming more environmentally friendly, so maybe now there is a possibility that even a 100 per cent electric vehicle can be a sports car. We have already developed Infiniti hybrid cars which are quite exciting.”
While transportation is the main purpose for vehicles – whether electric- or gas-powered – that isn’t necessarily all that car makers are working for. Shiga answered the question about whether Nissan was looking at a cheaper sports car with this statement: “Automotive makers are not just making commodities to transfer people or goods. We are happy to provide, or to offer, this value. Nissan wants to continue making vehicles for driving pleasure – this is important.” This philosophy is definitely consistent with the vehicles coming out of Nissan, which are practical and enjoyable, as well as great-looking.
While the driving range of an electric sports car could potentially be less than other electric cars due to the way faster speeds would drain the battery more quickly, an all electric sports vehicle would still be an excellent option for sports car aficionados’. While the next full generation is not yet signed off, if you have a “need for speed” but want to be environmentally conscious, Nissan is looking like an excellent way to go!
