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The Nissan Land Glider is part of the Japanese carmaker's march towards a zero-emission future. Photo Gallery
A tilting cocoon called the Land Glider is a preview of the ?new era? Nissan hope to lead us into.
Powered by two electric motors that can get it up to 113km/h, the 3.1m tiny city concept is part of the Japanese carmaker’s march towards a zero-emission future, Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn says.
The narrow two-seater pod -- with passenger sitting behind driver – has motorcycle-like handlebar steering that lets it tilt up to 17 degrees on all four wheels. This would help it conserve energy in cornering as well as improve stability. Sensors log the Land Glider’s steering angle, yaw and speed, and then calculate the amount of tilt needed for a corner.
There is no confirmed production plan yet, but Ghosn’s address to Tokyo motor show was intended to suggest that if not the Land Glider, then other similar vehicles are the solution to the environmental problems facing conventional vehicles.
“The time is now for zero emissions,” Ghosn says. “Sustainable mobility is within our grasp.”
Whether or not that grasp is on the handlebars of a tilting pod remains to be seen.
