Find great computer deals at StaplesNissan Land Glider is green and leans
The Nissan Land Glider concept solves it's narrow track problem by leaning into the turns to gain traction.
(Credit: Nissan)
If you like what you've been hearing about Nissan's Leaf electric car, but think it looks too much like a futuristic Versa 1.6 for your tastes, then maybe Nissan's other zero-emissions concept will pique your interest.
The Nissan Land Glider concept is a tiny electric vehicle that features a computer controlled steering system that leans the
car into the turns. The pilot driver is seated centrally in the cabin with space for a single passenger directly behind in the narrow cabin. At least, it looks like that's where the passenger would sit. Although the photos clearly show a driver's four-point harness, none of the pictures show a rear seat belt.
The steering wheel has been replaced with what looks like a flight yoke. The rear view mirrors have been replaced by cameras and monitors. The dashboard definitely looks like it belongs on a vehicle of the future.
Now THAT is a cockpit!
(Credit: Nissan)
Ultimate speed is not this vehicle's goal.
(Credit: Nissan)Details about the drive train are scarce, but we do know that it will be motivated by all-electric power. Expect the battery technology to be similar to that of the Leaf, albeit on a smaller scale. With its narrow profile and potentially lighter weight, we presume that the Land Glider will get by with less horsepower than the Leaf requires.
The Land Glider will be displayed at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, alongside the Leaf production concept. Stay tuned for more details as they emerge. In the meantime, check out the embedded video of the Land Glider in action after the jump.
Is there a true advantage to having the car twist like a flight-sim? I imagine this would cause more even wear across the surface of the tires, leading to expanded time-frames for necessary tire changes... though I tend to consider rubber a renewable resource (I may not even be correct with that assumption). That's the only thing I can think of, though. Increased handling for someone familiar with both the car and physics is a possibility, as well as tightening turn radius, but I wouldn't want my Luddite mom driving this car, for example. A motorcyclist should be relatively at ease in this vehicle, I would think.
I wonder what this car does for passengers as far as motion-sickness is concerned... muhahaha.
I'm really digging the sci-fi cockpit with flight-yoke instead of a wheel... though I don't think it would be comfortable for long-distance travel. Not that this is made for distance, obviously.
If you look closely at the concepts wheels, you'll see that it has rounded profile motorcycle tires, instead of the standard flat profile car tires. This means that the Land Glider has a much smaller contact patch than a standard car, and consequently, less rolling resistance making it marginally more fuel efficient when coasting.
However, the same small contact patch mean that turning traction would have to suffer. This is compounded by the fact that a tall and narrowly tracked car has a tendency to loose grip on the inside wheels when cornering, as the body rolls outward when turning. If you've ever seen a racing-spec WV GTI or Honda Civic lift its inside rear wheel when digging into a turn, you'll know what I mean.
Here's where the lean comes in. By leaning into the turn, a few things happen. Firstly, and most importantly, you shift the weight of the car back onto all four wheels more evenly, maximizing what traction you do have by keeping the inside wheels in the grip game. This also minimizes the chances of a narrow car tipping over when making emergency maneuvers. Secondly, rolling the rounded profile tire into the turn allows them to maintain a more consistent contact patch which further increases grip. Finally, the tilting action alters the suspension geometry and allows the dampers and springs to more effectively work against the road instead of skipping laterally over uneven surfaces.
Plus, it looks wicked cool.
Again, I'm not a motorcycle guy and I'm not a suspension engineer, but I'd like to think that I know a thing or two about how cars work. Anyone who knows better should feel free to chime in and share the knowledge!
http://www.aptera.com/
This version has been in development longer and uses a single front wheel design licensed from the European Carver.
From the way Persu's development process has gone, I would trust Nissan much more if (and, at this point, that a HUGE if) Persu ever gets anything into Production.
Full-frontal test crash: Fatal
Side Impact: Fatal
Rear Impact: Fatal
Fender Bender: Fatal
6-Point Whitetail Deer: Fatal
Shopping Cart: Fatal
Bird Droppings: Fatal
Pothole: Fatal
Might be nice for people with money to burn and no family...
That was a three wheeler - front wheel and body tilt (motorcycle tyre) rear wheels stayed upright. That had substantial crash safety vaidated as part of its design.
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by Quabit
October 22, 2009 3:52 AM PDT
- Narrow cars with tandem seating offer serious fuel saving advantages. The problem is narrow cars with the longer wheelbase needed for a rear passenger have poor suspension geometry. Tilting mechanisms will help compensate but they bring about new issues: complexity, expense and potential safety problems.
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(14 Comments)I wonder how these narrow cycle tires and tilting mechanism deal with rain and snow. I love the idea of tilting at speed but it's kind of silly to have the same dramatic angle turning a corner in a parking lot. It may be something that needs more electronic control than direct mechanical links.