The BladeGlider concept to be shown by Nissan at the Tokyo Motor Show this month will no doubt cause a stir among the general populace for its radical shape, but it just might represent a significant moment in the history of the automobile. When Ben Bowlby conceived the vehicle’s revolutionary architecture in December 2008, he envisioned a far more efficient automobile than current form factors allow.
Just five years later, the same trapezoid form factor will be the marquee unveiling at one of the most important car shows in the world. The reason it is so important, and yes, revolutionary, is that the Bladeglider has such a low aerodynamic drag coefficient, that it uses considerably less energy to achieve the same performance as a conventional car using the same powerplant maybe as little as half the energy.
When the Deltawing made its debut in the Le Mans 24 Hour race, it lasted just six hours before it was involved in an accident caused by another car. It qualified a highly respectable 29th but its race pace was at the bottom end of the LMP2 class.
During the six hours it ran at Le Mans, it was using half the fuel of its competitors and running twice the distance on a set of tires. Indeed, the front tires were doing much better than the rears, but in time-honored tradition they got changed when the rears did, so we won’t know how much less wear they were experiencing until next June when hostilities resume once more.
As Road & Track magazine pointed out in its summary of the car’s efforts: “50 percent is the most prevalent figure and frame of mind with the Dan Gurney-built prototype. Bowlby's four-wheeled declaration was brought to life to prove that similar performance to that of the class-leading prototypes can be achieved with half the weight, half the power, and half the fuel and tire consumption.”
Unlike nearly all concept cars, which are designed to assess public opinion, the uber-radical Bladeglider already seems destined for production.
Hence, the Nissan press release carries some statements as bold as the concept itself: "More than a concept, Nissan BladeGlider is both a proposal for the future direction of Nissan electric vehicle (EV) development and an exploratory prototype of an upcoming production vehicle from the world’s leading EV manufacturer."
Source: Gizmag
Just five years later, the same trapezoid form factor will be the marquee unveiling at one of the most important car shows in the world. The reason it is so important, and yes, revolutionary, is that the Bladeglider has such a low aerodynamic drag coefficient, that it uses considerably less energy to achieve the same performance as a conventional car using the same powerplant maybe as little as half the energy.
When the Deltawing made its debut in the Le Mans 24 Hour race, it lasted just six hours before it was involved in an accident caused by another car. It qualified a highly respectable 29th but its race pace was at the bottom end of the LMP2 class.
During the six hours it ran at Le Mans, it was using half the fuel of its competitors and running twice the distance on a set of tires. Indeed, the front tires were doing much better than the rears, but in time-honored tradition they got changed when the rears did, so we won’t know how much less wear they were experiencing until next June when hostilities resume once more.
As Road & Track magazine pointed out in its summary of the car’s efforts: “50 percent is the most prevalent figure and frame of mind with the Dan Gurney-built prototype. Bowlby's four-wheeled declaration was brought to life to prove that similar performance to that of the class-leading prototypes can be achieved with half the weight, half the power, and half the fuel and tire consumption.”
Unlike nearly all concept cars, which are designed to assess public opinion, the uber-radical Bladeglider already seems destined for production.
Hence, the Nissan press release carries some statements as bold as the concept itself: "More than a concept, Nissan BladeGlider is both a proposal for the future direction of Nissan electric vehicle (EV) development and an exploratory prototype of an upcoming production vehicle from the world’s leading EV manufacturer."
Source: Gizmag
