Page 69 - The Book For Men Spring/Summer 2024

to the many rotund, jelly bean–shaped EVs that dot the show floor in Tokyo. Even here in Canada, you must only take a cursory glance around any mall parking lot to find them. “You’re going to see that [the Hyper Force concept] is a bit heavy, and even intentionally brutal,” he adds.
don’t just look pretty, they also aid aerodynamics and brake cooling.
But, as Albaisa explains, such aggressive shapes and extreme performance in a compact sports car are only made possible by the all-solid-state batteries. And Nissan is just one of many companies currently discovering the possibilities
this game-changing technology offers.
Without launching into a full-blown chemistry lesson, the benefits ASSBs
can afford drivers is that they charge significantly faster, and are roughly twice as energy dense as current lithium-ion batteries. Not only that, they use less expensive materials, which will bring overall costs down. In other words, ASSBs address many of the concerns and shortcomings of current EVs — from range and weight, to charging times and cost. Deployed in a friendly, affordable family car, ASSBs could create a $25,000 car that can reach 600 kilometres on a single charge. Used in a Nissan GT-R, the technology will deliver mind-bending speed and agility.
In Tokyo, Nissan showcased prototypes of its new batteries, and they are both extremely light and more easily packaged than current cylindrical battery cells. The carmaker has committed to investing $17.6 billion USD into EV development, a large chunk of which is going to ASSB research and development. In its long-term “Ambition 2030” road map, Nissan has already announced plans to launch the company’s first EV with in-house ASSBs by 2028. Or, in other words, Godzilla could be making an all-electric comeback as early as 2030.
He’s right. The Hyper Force concept’s design is one part cyberpunk mixed
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with one part Bosozoku (the idiosyncratic and highly customized motorcycle
subculture prevalent in Japan), shaken and stirred together, and then liberally poured over Nissan’s own solid-state batteries.
The cabin is pure, unadulterated futurism, with its neon lights and a gritty, tech-forward design created in collaboration with Gran Turismo video game makers, Polyphony Digital. The dashboard even changes shape depending on what driving mode you select. In R (racing) mode, for example, digital panels extend out toward the seats, enveloping the driver in a fighter jet–style cockpit. Four satellite screens hover nearby, reading out tire temperature, grip level, air pressure, and power distribution.
The exterior, too, is proportioned outrageously, with a snowplow-like front
splitter and oversized wing. It’s a style inspired by Group 5 race cars, as well as
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that Bosozoku subculture, the popularity of which peaked in the 1980s. But the
car is also thoroughly modern. Something called a “plasma actuator” suppresses air detachment along the car’s surface in order to “maximize grip and minimize inner-wheel lift during cornering.” And those gorgeous, forged carbon wheels
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