At an event last night, Nissan revealed four electric concept cars and talked about its roadmap for electrification and carbon neutrality. The plan includes 23 new electrified models (with 15 new EVs), and to demonstrate what might be in the pipeline, Nissan showed off some seriously cool concept cars.
"The role of companies to address societal needs is increasingly heightened," said Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida. "We want to transform Nissan to become a sustainable company that is truly needed by customers and society," he said.
With a goal of 50 per cent electrification globally by 2030, 20 new EV and e-Power hybrid models will be introduced in the next five years. Nissan expects to introduce cobalt-free lithium-ion batteries by 2028, reducing cost and increasing sustainability. It also expects to launch an EV with solid-state batteries "by fiscal year 2028." An EV with solid-state batteries could cut charging time to one-third of current times, Nissan said, and reduce battery costs to less than half of current estimates.
Nissan also expects to expand its ProPilot driver assistance with next-generation Lidar vision systems "on virtually every new model" by 2030.
Four concept cars are meant to get us excited about those EVs, with a sports car, two small crossovers, and a pickup truck.
The Nissan Chill-Out concept has much in common with the Ariya as far as styling. It's a bit smaller but rides on the company's CMF-EV platform. The subcompact crossover looks the readiest for production (just ignore the wheels and bubble top), and it seems like one that could arrive on the market sooner rather than later.
The Hang-Out concept is a more rugged small crossover, and it gives us serious Nissan Cube vibes. A low floor and high roof give it loads of interior space, with four seats that can rotate and move into different configurations giving it that cool urban feel EV concepts seem to be required to have.
The Max-Out is a two-seat sports car EV concept that is seriously low and ultra-sleek in appearance. Nissan said that it's stable and dynamic with limited body roll for cornering. Though no Z-car in appearance, a modern replacement for that car seems like the target Nissan had in mind. Reconfigurable and ultra-minimalist seats help make this one look even more advanced.
Lastly, the Surf-Out is a small pickup that gets fascinating features like a clear nose panel that integrates lighting and vehicle branding but lets the driver see out more directly ahead of the vehicle. It will have e-4orce all-wheel drive to give it some off-road capability. Uniquely, Nissan shows that there is no divider between the cab and bed. It's a feature that's not likely for production but does allow incredible cargo versatility, demonstrated by the surfboard stored under the passenger seat.
