Nissan Transforms Rogue Into Mountain Rescue Vehicle
Winter enthusiasts who love to hit the slopes or the mountain need to be aware of the risks at all times. Just in the past week, two skiers have died in Quebec.
Right on cue, Nissan has just come up with a unique mountain rescue concept designed to showcase the benefits of its advanced electrified all-wheel drive system, a.k.a. e-4ORCE, while raising awareness about the importance of riding responsibly. Developed by the company’s European division, it is currently on display at the popular Italian ski resort of Cervinia.
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Similar to the previously introduced Rogue Warrior, 370Zki and Altima-te AWD, the vehicle’s wheels have been replaced by snow tracks. It is based on the X-Trail compact SUV (identical to our Rogue) and equipped with an e-POWER hybrid powertrain (which we don’t get in Canada).
The fenders and suspension are modified to accommodate the track, while a custom, winch-compatible bumper highlights the front end. You can also see that reinforced towing hooks are added to the front and rear bumpers, while footboards are included on the side to facilitate access as the cabin sits 23 cm higher.
Up on the roof, a custom roof rack carries an evacuation stretcher and snow shovels. A siren, flashing light bar and powerful lights are part of the mix, too.
Inside, the rear seats are removed to allow the installation of a stretcher, enabling the transportation of injured skiers to the nearest medical facility, along with a seat for a medical professional. Additionally, a full array of communication and navigation devices can be found where the front passenger seat would normally be.
But let’s go back to those snow tracks for a minute. A combination of a gasoline engine and two electric motors (210 total horsepower) gets them going. What sets the system apart from traditional mechanical systems is that it can react to changing levels of grip in 1/10,000th of a second—approximately 1,000 times quicker than a traditional AWD system, Nissan claims. What’s more, it can adjust the distribution of power to the wheels individually, according to the available grip.
And in the event of an emergency, the Nissan X-Trail Mountain Rescue concept will accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 7.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 180 km/h. Check out the following video released by Nissan that shows its many features and what it’s capable of:
