MOTORING NEWS - Exactly 70 years after the debut of its first electric vehicle (EV), Nissan's most advanced EV ever took centre stage at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK.
The 100% electric Nissan BladeGlider sports car prototype was in the thick of the action at the festival with electrifying performances on the famous hillclimb course. The culmination of the weekend was a test session on the historic Goodwood Motor Circuit.
Putting the all-electric BladeGlider through its paces was Nismop athlete Lucas Ordóñez, who became the first professional racing driver to take the wheel of the three-seater. Ordóñez is a former winner of Nissan's GT Academy competition to turn computer gamers into racers.
"Driving the BladeGlider round the famous circuit has been a fantastic experience," said Ordóñez. "It's such an exciting car to drive, with so much torque from the moment you start. It's great fun on a fast track like this and so quick through the corners."
Nissan's EV success story began in 1947 with the launch of the Tama. This pioneering four-seat EV was available as a passenger car and a van. It offered customers a range of 65km on a full charge. It was initially developed by the Tokyo Electro Automobile, which later became part of Nissan.
Since the debut of the Tama in 1947, Nissan has established a niche in zero-emission technology. It pioneered the EV revolution with the launch of the world's first mass-market 100% electric passenger car, the Nissan Leaf.
In South Africa, the Leaf has made a splash since launching in the market in 2011 at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban. Currently there are 95 charging stations throughout the country. The new second-generation Leaf will make its world premiere in early September.
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