Browse > Home / Hybrid Cars / Nissan To Bring All-Electric Vehicle To Market By 2010

Nissan To Bring All-Electric Vehicle To Market By 2010

February 29, 2008

Pivo2Nissan has re-affirmed its commitment to bring an electric vehicle to the market by 2010. The leading concept candidate that could meet that timetable is the Pivo2 all-electric vehicle, which Nissan first introduced in 2005 and continues to build on.

The Pivo all-electric vehicle is a radical departure from conventional automotive engineering, in both its visual appearance and its operation. The Pivo2 concept was designed to seat three passengers. The driver is seated centrally in the passenger compartment and the cabin is capable of 360° rotation, allowing passengers to enter and exit through a single, centralized door. With the rotating passenger cabin and an innovative wheel design, the driver is always facing forward, regardless of the vehicle’s orientation. With the Pivo2’s design, the car can move instantly in any direction.

The Pivo2 features an electric motor at the front of the vehicle, and the design calls for four wheel hub motors. Nissan has a working prototype with the wheel-mounted drive motors, but indicates that a production vehicle that incorporates them may be as far off as 2015.

Like most electric vehicles, the Pivo2 is powered by lithium-ion batteries. Currently, the concept vehicle is designed to accelerate to a top speed of 120 km/h and has a range of 125 km. The vehicle requires a 6-hour charge which could limit its usefulness in congested areas.

Nissan has also integrated a “robotic agent” into the Pivo2, whose purpose is to provide the driver with needed information, and to monitor the driver’s mood with built-in facial analysis technology. If the robotic agent determines that the driver is in a poor state of mind, it will “talk” or “listen” to the driver to elevate the driver’s emotional state.

The Pivo and Pivo2 are not the only Nissan electric concept vehicles. Nissan also created the Mixim electric concept that featured the Nissan “Super Motor” electric power train. The Mixim also featured independent electric motors on each axle. It’s likely that a production version of the Pivo2 would feature elements of both of Nissan’s electric concept vehicles.

Written by Hybrid Car Chat · Filed Under Hybrid Cars 

Comments

Got something to say?