Electric vehicles are quite clearly the way all manufacturers are heading right now. Whether we like it or not, EVs are becoming a big part of every manufacturers future plans and that has led to some, quite awful looking cars. For the most part, a lot of manufacturers are simply taking currently available cars and then slapping some EV tech into them. They aren’t being creative enough with their designs. The Honda e and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 show just what can be done though if you take a clean sheet of paper.
Opel went one step further with the Manta ElektroMOD. This is, to all intents and purposes, a classic Opel Manta that the company restomodded into an EV. That clearly got a few companies thinking, particularly Nissan. Not that long ago, they revealed something very cool which was one of their classic Bluebird cars, the first car to be built at the brand's Sunderland factory in the United Kingdom, and add Nissan Leaf power. Enter the Nissan Newbird, a modern take on the Bluebird. And just like Opel did with the Manta e-resotmod, Nissan have created something very, very cool.
The Nissan Newbird In Detail
Lets take a look at the car in some detail. Nissan took the classic Bluebird that was first built in the Sunderland factory in 1986, and swapped out its internal combustion engine for an electric drivetrain. Specifically, Nissan added in the powertrain from its popular Leaf electric car to power its Newbird creation. The car was extensively modified to ensure the drivetrain could fit, with a motor, inverter and a 40 kWh battery pack all installed. The battery modules were split between the engine bay and the boot for optimized weight distribution.
Nissan also modified the power steering, braking and heating systems so they could be electrically powered. The original Nissan badge now has an LED backlight, for when the car is static, a nod to its new electric drivetrain. Something that is very cool is that the Newbird can be recharged through the original fuel flap. It isn’t a homologized car, but it can go for some 130 miles on its new Leaf powertrain. And a special exterior design was created by Nissan Design Europe, inspired by design cues of 1980s consumer technology.
Promoting Nissan’s Ambition 2030
The Newbird was created also in part to mark Nissan’s Ambition 30 project. Ambition 30 is Nissan’s aim to become a truly sustainable company, and of course to add more electric vehicles to its lineup. Specifically, Nissan wants to add some 15 new electric vehicles to its lineup before the end of the decade. The Newbird also has another nice link with its original Sunderland factory. The UK based facility now makes the Nissan Leaf, the car that gave the Newbird its electric drivetrain. The car will never be put into production, just like Opel’s electric Manta, but despite that, Nissan have certainly done something incredibly cool.
Why The Newbird Is Such A Cool Car
Let's start with the obvious. And what we touched upon in this articles intro. A lot of EVs now are just incredibly boring to look at. This is because they take models that are currently available, and just add an electric drivetrain. An EV should be an opportunity to do something very different. And that is exactly what Nissan have done. Granted, this is a car that existed prior. But this isn’t just a rebadged car, this is a restomod just like the Opel Manta. That in itself is incredibly cool.
It also stands out among all other electric vehicles, and it shows something else as well. This car will never be homologized. Safety standards are very different now to the 1980s. But what if Nissan went down the Hyundai route, and created a retro styled EV? And one based upon the original Bluebird and using the Newbird as a learning process? How cool would that be! With every major manufacturer pretty much on the EV path, companies are going to have to do something to make themselves really stand out from the crowd. The Newbird could serve as inspiration for Nissan to do just that.
Together In Electric Dreams
We can certainly dream of more cars like the Newbird. Even the interior of the car is pretty much as it was in the mid 1980s. The car could also serve as inspiration for those who own their own cars from this era. When its engine dies, why not convert it into an electric vehicle, given the chassis will already be road legal? It's certainly a wonderful dream to have. You have to applaud Nissan for marking a quite significant anniversary for themselves with something so cool. Hopefully the Newbird can enjoy the rest of its life showing us just how cool electric cars can be.
Source: Nissan