Nissan Pivo 3 inches closer to production

Damon Lavrinc — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Tokyo Motor Show, Nissan, Electric

Every other year, Nissan trots out another Pivo concept to the Tokyo Motor Show, and each successive version is weirder than the next. But this latest version - the predictably named Pivo 3 - is different. Nissan wants to build it, and while its awkward shape and trick doors won't make it to production, much of the underlying tech will.

Since 2005, each Pivo has featured some four-wheel-steering system, and the Pivo 3 takes it to the next level with a 6.6-foot turning radius that can practically spin the Pivo on its axis. Power is delivered thorough individual in-wheel motors, with energy stored in a Leaf-inspired lithium-ion battery pack. The big feature is the Pivo 3's automated parking system, which not only finds a space, but drives off to park itself then returns courtesy of a smartphone app.

So when are we going to see it hit the Japanese and European markets? Two years? Five years? Your guess is as good as ours as Nissan isn't giving up much.

Continue reading Nissan Pivo 3 inches closer to production

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Nissan shows off Pivo 3's new angles, considering quirky EV for production [w/video]

Autoblog Staff — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:29:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Japan, Tokyo Motor Show, Electric

Sometimes, even concept cars evolve. Take the Nissan Pivo, an ungainly, all-electric bubble-on-wheels that first appeared in 2005 at the Tokyo Motor Show. The first version was pretty round, but the Pivo 2 somehow managed to add extra curves around the wheels. For the Pivo 3, unveiled today in advance of this year's Tokyo show, Nissan is keeping some of the quirkiness of the first two Pivos but has scrapped most of the supple round curves. Instead, the new Pivo gets some artistic angles to go with its city functionality. Whether this is an improvement or not is in the eye of the beholder.

The changes don't mean that the Pivo is ready for sale quite yet, but Nissan does say that the third-gen Pivo is "what Nissan envisions to be a more 'realistic' EV of the near future." Aside from the zero-emission powertrain (note the "e" logo, as also seen on the Leaf) and in-wheel motors, what's notable about the Pivo 3 is that has got a lot of automated parking capability. In "specially equipped parking lots," you can even let the car park and recharge itself using "Automated Valet Parking." Even better, you can have the Pivo 3 come to you using your smartphone and the car's autonomous driving skills. Bruce Wayne's got nothing on Pivo. When you are driving, the center-located driver's seat and ultra-tight (two-meter) turning radius.

As you can see in the video after the jump, Nissan is considering putting the Pivo - of something like the Pivo - into production. Would you buy one? Sound off in the Comments.

Continue reading Nissan shows off Pivo 3's new angles, considering quirky EV for production [w/video]

Nissan shows off Pivo 3's new angles, considering quirky EV for production [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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