Nissan Ariya gets new Aurora Green, Akatsuki Copper colours - water-based process emits 25% less CO2

Nissan Ariya gets new Aurora Green, Akatsuki Copper colours – water-based process emits 25% less CO2

Nissan is doubling down on cutting emissions as it prepares its first fully electric crossover, the Ariya. Last month, the automaker said the car will be its most aerodynamic SUV ever, targeting a drag coefficient value of 0.297 Cd.

Now, Nissan announced 10 new colours for the Ariya, which include four monotone and six dual-tone options. These paint will be applied by an advanced, environmentally sustainable paint production technology that reduce carbon dioxide output by 25%. Among the colours include two specially-developed hues named Akatsuki Copper and Aurora Green.

According to the automaker, Akatsuki Copper is inspired by the Japanese phrase for ‘dawn’, and the hue aptly reflects the colours of sunrise. As for Aurora Green, it’s clear that the Northern Lights was the inspiration here, and the paint will appear green or purple depending on the angle it is viewed at, just like the aurora borealis.

Now, how did Nissan manage to cut CO2 emissions in the painting process? Through the use of water-based paint. This allows the colours to be applied at a lower temperature, ensuring that each part of the vehicle can be painted together. This streamlined process is where the CO2 reduction takes place.

Nissan Design Europe colour manager, Lesley Busby said: “The ingenuity the Nissan Ariya represents inspired us to adopt an entirely new mindset for colour design. Ariya is the culmination of Nissan’s electric mobility expertise and a strong statement of intent for the future of EV design.”

“We therefore worked hard to introduce a truly futuristic and technology-driven design language for the colours, analysing them in detail to create the perfect match for Ariya’s innovative personality,” she added.

To jog your memory, the electric crossover will be available with two lithium-ion battery capacities, 63 kWh and 87 kWh, offering up to 450 km and 610 km of range respectively (WLTP cycle). Nissan said the range is expected to improve as it fine-tunes the car’s aerodynamics and software.

Base models with the 63 kWh battery will get a single motor that makes 160 kW (215 hp) and 300 Nm of torque (0-100 km/h in 7.5 seconds), whereas the 87 kWh model gets 178 kW (239 hp), although it’s slower in the century dash (7.6 seconds) largely due to battery weight. Both variants will top out at a limited 160 km/h.

All-wheel-drive variants will get twin motors – the 63 kWh model makes 250 kW (335 hp) and 560 Nm, enough to reach 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds and has an expected range of up to 430 km. The range-topper with the larger battery offers 290 kW (388 hp) and 600 Nm, will do the century dash in 5.1 seconds, and has a range of 580 km. To date, Nissan has collected over 29,000 bookings for the Ariya.