Japanese EVs to go on show in Geneva

(Nissan)

Only months after the launch of the Leaf, Japanese automaker Nissan is to show a concept for an all-electric sports car at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

The company released first images of the ESFLOW February 9, promising that although the concept "looks like a sports car, handles like a sports car and performs like one too," it has been created from the ground up as a pure electric vehicle.

Initial pictures of the two-seater show dramatic styling for the all-aluminum chassis, which makes the vehicle considerably lighter, and therefore more energy efficient, than the production Nissan Leaf.

Nissan says that the ESFLOW uses two electric motors (one for each rear wheel) and will reach 0-100km/h in under five seconds, as well as managing over 240 km on one charge - putting it considerably closer to the Tesla Roadster than its sibling Leaf in terms of performance.

Although the ESFLOW is very much a concept vehicle, the level of detail included by Nissan has prompted some to speculate that the automaker could be planning to bring a production high-performance EV to the roads before long.

Honda said February 10 that it too will be showcasing an EV concept, although it's aimed at a far wider audience and is "designed to meet the daily driving needs of the average metropolitan commuter."

Based on the layout of the Fit/Jazz hatchback (which recently debuted as a hybrid itself), it's a hint at what consumers can expect from a Honda Fit EV, expected to be introduced in the US and Japan in 2012.

The Geneva Motor Show is open to the public March 3-13 in Geneva, Switzerland.

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