Nissan LEAF lights up London skyline with electric car-powered graffiti
Green transport news – by Thomas McMullan
26th September 2014
Electric-car powered graffiti has hit the streets of London to highlight the capital’s pollution problem caused by vehicle exhausts fumes.
Nissan has commissioned graffiti artist, Moose, to make a large-scale design of London’s skyline on a wall close to Waterloo station, using the artists’ signature ‘negative’ mural graffiti style. The graffiti image is captured by using a high-pressure water jet to clean dirt from the surface.
Nissan LEAF-powered graffiti
“This piece of art is a striking call to action that air quality is one of the biggest issues facing the citizens and visitors of Europe’s largest cities today,” said Jean-Pierre Diernaz, EV director of Nissan Europe. “It is a reminder that electric vehicles don’t have an exhaust to emit the kind of air pollution which has stained the wall Moose has created his piece on.”
“Working with Moose to highlight the effect of air quality on our cities through a piece of art powered by the Nissan LEAF is an exciting and powerful way of reminding people about the benefits of zero emission vehicles,” added Diernaz.
Moose’s artwork is on show to the public in the subway on Station’s Approach, Waterloo, London.
Nissan LEAF-powered graffiti
The artwork is a world first in the sense that the jet washer used to clean the wall was powered by a Nissan LEAF electric car, via a portable device that converts electricity from the car’s battery. Much of the dirt ‘powered away has accumulated as the result of particulate matter from vehicle exhausts, levels of which often exceed guidelines and limits in busy areas of London and other European cities.
“I’ve been using reverse graffiti for 15 years now, in fact I named it,” said Moose. “My whole ethos is about highlighting the amount of pollution we endure daily using a very positive harmless method that never fails to ask questions about what we accept and what we shouldn’t accept in our environment.”
“Electric cars and alternative fuelling systems provide the brightest future we’ve ever known in the history of the automotive industry in terms of protecting our environment,” he added. “It’s a pleasure to be given the opportunity to create public art in this way and I’m very pleased with the iconic simplicity of the mural and its message.”
“Striking call to action”
“I’ve been using reverse graffiti for 15 years now, in fact I named it,” said Moose. “My whole ethos is about highlighting the amount of pollution we endure daily using a very positive harmless method that never fails to ask questions about what we accept and what we shouldn’t accept in our environment.”
“Electric cars and alternative fuelling systems provide the brightest future we’ve ever known in the history of the automotive industry in terms of protecting our environment,” he added. “It’s a pleasure to be given the opportunity to create public art in this way and I’m very pleased with the iconic simplicity of the mural and its message.”
“Striking call to action”
Before spraying the wall, Moose uses stencils to outline the designs that are eventually brought together in the finished piece which stands 2.5 meters tall and 10 meters wide.
“This piece of art is a striking call to action that air quality is one of the biggest issues facing the citizens and visitors of Europe’s largest cities today,” said Jean-Pierre Diernaz, EV director of Nissan Europe. “It is a reminder that electric vehicles don’t have an exhaust to emit the kind of air pollution which has stained the wall Moose has created his piece on.”
“Working with Moose to highlight the effect of air quality on our cities through a piece of art powered by the Nissan LEAF is an exciting and powerful way of reminding people about the benefits of zero emission vehicles,” added Diernaz.
Moose’s artwork is on show to the public in the subway on Station’s Approach, Waterloo, London.
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