Nissan Re-Leaf is an electrified disaster response vehicle

Japanese automaker Nissan has shown off the Re-Leaf concept a prototype crisis vehicle based on their Leaf electric hatchback. 

The prototype has been given a  yellow-orange high visibility colour scheme along with an LED light bar with amber flashes. The suspension has been raised by 70 mm and a custom 'sump guard' has been added to protect the underfloor. Larger wheel arches accommodate the 17-inch motorsport wheels, which are fitted with 90 mm at the front and 130 mm at the rear.

The rear seats have been removed to fit a custom bulkhead cage, which is has been fitted with an "operational hub" consisting of a pull-out desk, a 32-inch LED screen, and a dedicated power supply. The job of the hub is to run communications and manage the emergency response.

"Electric vehicles are emerging as one of the technologies that can improve resilience in the power sector. By having thousands of EVs available on standby, either as disaster-support vehicles or plugged into the network through vehicle-to-grid (V2G), they're uniquely capable of creating a virtual power plant to maintain a supply of energy during a major outage," said Helen Perry, head of electric passenger cars and infrastructure at Nissan Europe.

"Concepts like the Re-Leaf show the possible application of EVs in disaster management and demonstrate that smarter, cleaner technology can help save lives and provide greater resilience for the future." He also said.