Nissan's ESFLOW Concept Merges Leaf's Zero-Emission Powertrain Tech With Sports Car Sexiness

Nissan's ESFLOW Nissan

Zero to 60 in under five seconds, sports care handling and performance, and zero emissions; that’s what Nissan is promising with it’s new ESFLOW sports car, a pure EV concept two-seater that captures the “joy of driving” while remaining “environmentally sympathetic.” Assuming, that is, that Nissan ever gets around to rolling it off the assembly line.

The ESFLOW relies on the same powertrain as Nissan Leaf, the zero emission family vehicle that many customers have been waiting on for months—and will be waiting on for months morein most cases. Nissan has only delivered a fraction of the Leaf’s that have been reserved, and it likely won’t be able to fill the balance of its orders until late summer. But the ESFLOW does enjoy some attractive, and decidedly sporty, features that offer some advantages over the standard internal combustion sports car.

The rear-wheel drive ESFLOW stows two all-electric motors above the rear wheel axis that independently control the left and right wheels, optimizing torque. Further, the batteries are located along the axis of the front and rear wheels, placing weight in the right places to add to stability in handling (batteries also don’t vary in their weight like a gas tank does, offering consistency in handling).

The batteries deliver a range of about 150 miles on a charge, certainly not bad for an EV. And it looks like a rocket. Or maybe a jet fighter. It looks sexier than the Leaf, anyhow, and if Nissan’s press materials are any indication, it’s aimed at a different customer completely. To wit:

Daniel, an ESFLOW owner, works in tech, but lives for the weekend. On Friday night after work, he gets behind the wheels of his ESFLOW which instantly links with his pocket PDA and determines the fastest route to his girlfriend's home. Finding street side parking is a synch [sic] as the ESFLOW's compact dimensions allow it to slip in to the narrowest of spaces. On Saturday he drives to a popular club to exhibit his DJ skills and his friends are impressed by his cool EV sports car.

So if you’re a young, single, environmentally-conscious male yuppie who also spins vinyl at swanky nightspots and has trouble parallel parking, the ESFLOW is for you. It also might suit you if you’re trapped inside an arcade game, as the TRON-like video below suggests. Or you can simply love it because it’s quiet, fast, and doesn’t have any backseats. No word on potential pricing, but perhaps we’ll hear more when the ESFLOW is officially unveiled next month at the Geneva Motor Show.

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