I happened to visit the Tokyo Motor show 2009 last weekend. Though I could see many concept cars displayed by Japanese car makers like Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, and Honda at the Show, I was particularly impressed by Nissan’s Land Glider electric vehicle. This zero emission electric car has a unique design that bends on the turns much like a motorcycle. If you are a bike fan, then, I feel, this may be the right car for you!
Nissan has designed this concept car – Land Glider -- for use in congested urban areas and narrow alleys, which are very typical in Japan. In this car, the driver seats centrally and the passenger sits behind the driver, just like on a motorbike. This tiny electric vehicle has computer controlled steering system that leans the car on the turns. The driver controls the vehicle through a drive-by-wire system that is controlled through a two-handle wheel. And, instead of the back view mirrors, they have monitors and cameras.
The dashboard of this car is definitely looks like as it is a future car. Nissan’s Land Glider is very light weight and ultra thin, it is just a 3.5 feet wide. In fact, it just covers up only half the space of a normal traffic lane. One quality which really makes the Land Glider remarkable is that it leans around 17 degree when it turns. Nissan Land Glider also has many safety features -- like the crash avoidance car-robotics technology with sensors mounted in the body to detect other vehicles in the same way. This concept is the same as in Nissan Eporo robot cars which mimics fish swimming in shoals without colliding.
I like to tell you one more impressive feature of this car- which is its non-contact charging system. You can charge Nissan Land Glider at any motorway service station, where this car can be charged wireless.
Nissan has cleverly used the way motorcycle leans on curves, in their new car design for Land Glider. This vehicle is totally electrical, and a completely smart eco friendly car.
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