Nissan hints there's a future for Pivo 3.
In keeping with Tokyo Motor Show tradition, Nissan has, over the years, introduced an assortment of odd and unusual concept vehicles. Yet, it has also had a history of putting some of the more promising ones into production, including a series of so-called “Pike Cars,” like the snail-shaped S-Cargo.
So, as the maker displays the third in a series of show cars dubbed Pivo perhaps it’s no wonder why folks are wondering whether the Nissan Pivo 3 just might also make the jump from concept to production.
The latest to get the Pivo name since 2005, this year’s Nissan Pivo 3 concept targets the emerging market for so-called Urban Mobility Vehicles, micro-sized vehicles that can navigate the crowded streets of cities like Tokyo, Beijing, London, perhaps even New York, and leave an environmental footprint even smaller than the vehicle itself.
“This is not just a show car,” the maker suggested, adding that, “PIVO 3 is what Nissan envisions to be a more ‘realistic’ EV of the near future.”
The earlier Nissan Pivo 2 concept.
Unlike the Japanese maker’s current battery-electric vehicle, the Nissan Leaf, Pivo 3 uses motors in each of its four wheels to both enhance traction and to simplify its drivetrain. The approach eliminates the need for a conventional engine compartment.
The concept vehicle features four-wheel steering controlled by its drive-by-wire technology. So, while it can’t quite turn on a dime, Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn noted that Pivo offers a turning radius of less than 7 feet, which would make it easy to slip into even the slightest urban parking spot.
Pivo 3 draws power from a lithium-ion battery pack similar to that in the Leaf. Unlike the round or square batteries used in many competing vehicles the Leaf chemistry allows Nissan to flex and fold the batteries to fit into unusual shapes for easier packaging. In this case, they’re mounted in the base of the vehicle.
The newest Pivo also adopts the latest in smart-car technology including Automated Valet Parking, which would allow it to park itself in a specially equipped facility, with the driver being able to retrieve the urban commuter car through a smartphone app.
The name, Pivo 3, has dual meaning, as it also points out that this is a three-seater.
Pivo, Nissan claims, could tie into a “smart community” grid, with other connected vehicles sharing a wide range of information about weather, driving conditions and more.
“PIVO is one of the answers for active urbanists living in mature markets,” contends Francois Bancon, Nissan’s Deputy Division General Manager of Product Strategy and Product Planning Division. “Through the three PIVO proposals, we have gained a deep understanding of their needs in such large, metropolitan areas.”
The latest Pivo concept abandons one critical feature found in the earlier prototypes, which had cabins sitting atop a separate platform. With Pivo 2, that allowed the driver to literally rotate the cabin and head off in the other direction without turning the wheels at all. But it was arguably the least likely feature to make it into production. The Pivo 3 still comes with distinctive scissor doors but those could readily be replaced by more conventional ones.
Does that mean we might see Pivo 3 (or 4 or 5) in production soon? The maker balks at locking down dates but suggests it is serious about the concept, so stay tuned.