A few seconds on the field were enough to reinvent the Nissan Leaf
Yokohama Stadium is getting two radically reworked third-generation Nissan Leaf relief cars, built for a few seconds of pure baseball theatre.
Nissan Leaf is preparing for an unusual generational change at Yokohama Stadium: the old relief car will soon give way to a vehicle based on the third-generation EV. Its debut is set for September 22. And this is far more than a new paint job — the cabin had to be seriously reworked for the few seconds a pitcher spends in the car before stepping onto the field.
Why put so much effort into such a short ride from the bullpen to the field? It is all about making the player's exit both easier and more theatrical. Nissan removed the center console, adjusted the step height and changed the seat position so the pitcher can get out more easily while fans in the stands get a better view. The home-team version also gets a special seat with the BayStars star. Nissan engineers and designers worked on the project together with students from all five of the company's automotive colleges.
And there is more. Yokohama Stadium is getting only two of these Leaf cars — one for the home team and one for the visitors. Blue illumination has also been added as part of the player's entrance. The result is no longer just transport to the field, but a full-fledged piece of the stadium show.
The most interesting part is that this story began long before today's debut. The first electric Leaf appeared on the Yokohama Stadium field in the 2017 season, and from 2018 the relief car was based on the second-generation model. Now the third Leaf takes over. The concept is the same, but the car has been adapted much more deeply for one very specific job.
The new car's first official appearance is scheduled for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars game against the Chunichi Dragons on September 22. That is when it will become clear how much all these changes matter in practice. A few seconds of driving, one pitcher entrance — and Nissan still decided that was enough reason to build two unique cars.