it’s the return of the thrush, well, its modern twin. that nissan newbird, as it is known, is celebrating 35 years of manufacturing in Sunderland, UK. it is a one-time conversion of the first car Rolled off the production line in 1986, now with the electric drive from a leaf EV.
All images courtesy of Nissan UK
that nissan newbird combines 35 years of manufacturing tradition in the factory. it also underscores the brand’s acceleration towards an electrified future. with the management of specialists Kinghorn electric vehicles, which are 15 miles from Sunderland, the conversion car was extensively modified to successfully integrate the electric drive train. The petrol internal combustion engine and the gearbox were removed in favor of the blade motor, the inverter and the 40 kWh battery pack. Special suspension was installed to support the extra weight of the batteries.
‘the’ newbird ‘represents everything that’s great about our factory – past, present and future – as we celebrate 35 years of manufacturing in Sunderland. We have a rich tradition of building great cars, straight from the original Bluebird, and our fantastic team is now leading our path to an exciting electrified, carbon neutral future, ”said Alan Johnson, Vice President, Manufacturing, at Nissan Sunderland Plant.
With the original fuel filler flap, the Newbird can be charged via the modified fuel filler cap at the very slow speed of up to 6.6 kW. The fuel gauge on the original Drive instrument panel was connected to show the battery level. the conversion provides an estimated range of approximately 130 miles, depending on temperature and driving use. its acceleration corresponds to that of its charging and crawls from 0 to 100 km / h in just under 15 seconds.
the exterior of the car has been kept mostly in the original 1980s style. however, nissan design europe has added a new graphic design to differentiate the newbird from the blue herd. A luminous tricolor of green, navy and pink also adorns the flanks and the overflow on the front and rear panels. The pattern is said to be inspired by design elements of consumer technology of this decade.