Green Wheels: Third iteration of Nissan PIVO EV

The green machine

The Smart urban commuter EV of the near future - this is how Nissan describes its latest electric concept car, PIVO 3, which is third in the PIVO series produced by the company since 2005. It is in the form of a compact three-seater with a central driving position designed especially for an urban environment. It will be displayed in 42nd Tokyo Motor show to be held in this month. The new concept car boasts of many innovative technologies to provide the users with a new driving sensation and extreme agility in jam packed cities.

The Nissan PIVO EV

Francois Bancon, deputy divisional GM for product strategy at Nissan, says central driving position of the car will give the people a feel of a race car. And, "that'll change completely your relationship with the car together with the others outside of the car," he adds. Also, the new concept car can take a complete a u-turn in just four meters of space than the 8-to-10 meters taken by normal cars. All of these proposed qualities of PIVO 3 concept car put it in a different league of creative and environment friendly mobility alternative.

Green factor

Battery-powered PIVO 3 is a zero-emission vehicle. As such, it will not directly contribute to environment pollution and global warming by producing CO2 and other particulate matters like oxides of nitrogen and sulfur. Also, the electric vehicle will have little waste products as compared to other conventional vehicles. The motors of PIVO 3 are directly attached to its wheels which will work smoothly for a longer period. Waste in the form of battery will also be saved as the lithium-ion batteries used in the vehicle can be recycled upon expiry.

PIVO 3 uses Nissan Leaf 's batteries which can also be used to supply a home with electricity. Details about the means of recharging the new concept car have not been provided by Nissan. However, it says that the new car will be produced with the aim of realizing near future mobility "that not only links car and driver but also connects the car to the community with sustainable energy."

The powertrain

Like earlier PIVO models, the PIVO 3 is also driven by in-wheel motors powered by lithium-ion batteries. This saves a lot of space in the chasis and provide the wheels with greater freedom of movement. It also has a Robotic Agent interface that makes the car act like an assistant to the driver and other sophisticated connectivities possible. More detailed specifications of the PIVO 3's engine has not yet been provided as the company is still working on the concept.

The highs

The new concept car is based on many innovations. Some of them could become solutions to urban problems of parking space and congestion. Also, as said in the introduction, the new concept will change the way man-car relationship has been understood so far. It has been equipped with an Automated Valet Parking (AVP) which allows the engine to automatically drive, locate a parking space and park without any help from driver.It also allows the car to charge itself and return to the driver when called by a smartphone.

PIVO 3 is only a three-meter long car equipped with narrow-tread rear tires and in-wheel motors (IWM) with wide steering angle. This allows the car make a u-turn on even a four-meter wide road. Also, the turn gap is zero which allows the car to turn when ever the front wheels can make the turn.

As compared to earlier PIVO versions, the current concept car has also undergone some design improvement. It now has a crisper look than the rounded look of PIVO and PIVO 2. The exteriors have been styled with bold surfaces and a new stance and control systems have been maneuvered to integrate completely with the stylish interior. The interiors also include side-view monitors, instead of the conventionally used mirrors, a display for GPS and other information and Nissan's Around View Monitor system for minimizing blind spots.

The lows

It is not possible now to outline the lows of the new concept car. It is still in the phase of development and may take a few more years for the beginning of commercial production.

Cost and availability

The price of this future concept car has not been decided. According to Bancon, the new concept car may undergo production by 2016-17.