The 2016 Rio Olympics aren’t all about artistic gymnastics, the fastest breaststroke or equestrian event; no, they’re apparently about showcasing futuristic electric cars, as well. At least, that’s what Nissan thinks.
A car we first saw in concept form at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show has made its Olympic appearance in Rio: Nissan’s all-electric BladeGlider is the real deal, and it’s being used to give Olympic VIPs and media personnel short jaunts around Rio during the games. Another is on display throughout the games.
Nissan Bladeglider
Nissan Bladeglider
Nissan Bladeglider
Nissan Bladeglider
Nissan Bladeglider
Nissan Bladeglider
If you’ve never seen the BladeGlider before, you’re clearly a little shocked at the moment that this thing is even real, and street legal. However, we’re here to tell you that it is both very real (in prototype form only at the moment) and absolutely able to drive on the road next to the LEAF and Prius (though we’d wager they’d both be a bit nervous next to this thing).
Power comes from a 130 kWh duo of electric motors that produce 174 horsepower. The engineering firm responsible for the BladeGlider’s powertrain, Williams Formula One team (you may know them…) claims the Nissan all-electric sports car will do 0-100kmh in approximately 5.0 seconds and will top out at 185 km/hr.
We wonder how many Olympic VIPs have asked this thing to be topped out on the streets of Rio…?
Of course, the design is really he most shocking thing about the BladeGlider, and its 1+2 seating arrangement is also rather unique and eye-catching. All feature four-point harnesses and are constructed of a blend of fabric and epoxy resin. Apparently, they’re made of such materials so as to keep the occupants more firmly in place during more aggressive driving as they are quite grippy…
While Nissan has no solid future plans with the two BladeGlider concepts, it’s clear that this is their way of showing the automotive world they’re capable of some Olympic-grade electric vehicle engineering, that could very well result in a sports performance EV.
Sources:
Nissan: http://www.stadiumnissan.com/en/news/view/nissan-bladeglider-steals-the-show-at-rio-olympics/25587
Autoblog.com: http://www.autoblog.com/2016/08/04/nissan-bladeglider-concept-rio/
Green Car Reports: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1105420_olympics-vips-get-rides-in-nissan-bladeglider-electric-sports-car