The Nissan Pivo concept car is an
electric car with unique revolving cabin, compact packaging,
multiple drive-by-wire systems and excellent visibility.
The Pivo concept car examines the potential of future
electric vehicles. The Pivo's most distinctive feature
is its cabin that revolves 360 degrees, eliminating
the need to reverse. A compact body also makes the car
exceptionally easy to maneuver.
Excellent visibility
is enhanced by Nissan's Around View technology, which
helps reduce dangerous blind spots. The navigation and
audio systems are simple to operate while driving. These
features are supported by Nissan's innovative environment-friendly
technologies such as the Compact Lithium-ion Battery.
Pivo promises to turn dreams into reality.
Easy-to-drive and user friendly:
Outstanding maneuverability: Pivo is ideal for urban
driving. It can easily pass oncoming traffic even on
the narrowest streets and is a cinch to park in the
tightest of spots. Pivo seats three passengers comfortably
despite an overall length of just 2,700 mm.
The driver
sits front and center while two passengers sit side-by-side
in the rear. Tall, electrically-powered sliding doors
make it easy to get in and out without hitting your
head.
There's no going back:
Parking in a tight spot invariably requires backing
in inch-by-inch. But with Pivo there's no going back;
you simply pivot the entire cabin - hence the concepts
name. This ability to park while always looking forward
is enabled by Nissan's advanced drive-by-wire technologies
that preclude the need for mechanical connections between
cabin and chassis.
Easy to operate with no hidden dangers:
Todays urbanites are deluged with information from all
sides. But Pivo manages the flow with a host of telematics
features that deliver the right information at the right
time. The driver can control the information flow without
taking the eyes off the road. Whats more, visibility
is enhanced by see-through pillars, Nissan's Around
View Monitor and other innovations that reduce blind
spots.
Futuristic exterior and interior:
Inside and out, Pivo's state-of-the-art innovations
are showcased by a design that is futuristic yet friendly.
Front and rear lamps feature a clear, clean-looking
design. And the exterior even features oval recesses
both front and rear that are covered with soft materials
•comfy places to sit outside when Pivo is parked.
You find the same thoughtfulness in a soft, organic
interior that extends from the center of the revolving
egg-shaped cabin, which is the Pivo's most unique feature.
Because the platform has a longitudinally symmetrical
design, the driver's perception of the car's corners
does not change even when the cabin is rotated 180
degrees.
Advanced technologies enhance driving experience:
Pivo is powered by a Nissan-developed high-performance
Compact Lithium-ion Battery and Nissans unique Super
Motor. The result is zero emissions. Beyond this outstanding
environmental performance, the electric powertrain enables
a highly compact body. Designers made the most of Nissan's
Compact Lithium-ion Battery which, being flat, require
much less space than conventional cylindrical cells
to achieve remarkable packaging efficiency.
Even more
space and weight savings are achieved with Nissan's
Super Motor. One Super Motor on each axle delivers power
to two shafts, each of which can be controlled independently.
This allows efficient distribution of torque to all
four wheels with two (not four) electric motors.
Pivo's unique revolving cabin is just one of the myriad
possibilities enabled by Nissan's multiple drive-by-wire
technologies. These include steer-by-wire, brake-by-wire
and shift-by-wire systems that replace mechanical linkages
with electronic signals. By eliminating the need for
mechanical links between cabin and chassis, designers
were able to create the unique pivoting passenger compartment.
Drive-by-wire technologies afford even more flexibility
inside the cabin as the layout of steering, braking
and other functions is no longer governed by mechanical
linkages. Even better, drive-by-wire systems mean less
weight and fewer mechanical parts.
See-through pillars and Nissan's Around View Monitor
helps to reduce dangerous blind spots. Cameras mounted
on the outside of each A-pillar feed an accurate image
of the surroundings to screens mounted on the inside
of the pillar. The net effect is pillars that become
virtual windows. The Around View Monitor meanwhile generates
a 360-degree view of the cars surroundings on a dashboard
monitor. Cameras positioned front and rear on both sides
of the car capture images of the surroundings. An innovative
image processing technique synthesizes these images
into a single birds-eye view.
A dash-mounted infrared (IR) commander allows drivers
to operate the navigation system and audio system without
taking an eye off the road or fumbling around for controls.
It's a new type of human-machine interface (HMI) that
uses an infrared camera and Nissan's "Magic 4"
concept. You simply point fingers at the infared commander
to choose from any of four items on a menu. If you
want item number three, hold up three fingers. Or,
for example, if you want the music louder, just motion
upwards with your hand.
Thanks to Nissan's Horizontal Display there is even
less need to take an eye off the road •because
information is displayed along the bottom of the windshield.
This system, first featured in the Serenity concept
shown at the Tokyo Motor Show two years ago, displays
information in the manner of movie subtitles. This innovative
display system supports Nissan's future telematics interface
concept. For example, in City Browsing mode,•the
system can display information transmitted live from
nearby locations. What's that building up ahead? City
Browsing labels it. |