Nissan looking to future with electric ‘micromobility’ concepts
Nissan will be showing off what it believes is the future of mobility with four electric-powered micro concepts at this year’s New York International Auto Show.
The four custom Nissan New Mobility Concepts are the work of the company’s Nissan Future Lab, an extension of the automaker’s global planning group that looks decades ahead to emerging mobility trends, such as ride sharing, and technologies, such as electric, autonomous and connected vehicles.
Nissan’s electric “micromobility” vehicles measure 7.6 feet in length and fit somewhere between a small motorcycle and a full-size vehicle. Nissan said they’re ideal for helping mass-transit users with their “last mile” needs in getting to their final destinations.
The small vehicles produce only 17 horsepower from an electric motor, and weigh just 1,045 pounds (474 kilograms). Approximate range from the 61 kWh lithium-ion battery is about 64 kilometres and top speed is set to just 40 km/h, so this is strictly an urban-only scooter.
“As large cities continue to grow into megacities globally, we need to better understand how transportation is changing, and anticipate what transportation needs will look like in the future,” said Rachel Nguyen, director of the West Coast-based Nissan Future Lab.
“With the fast-paced growth of smart technologies and the emergence of the sharing economy, we are studying how this size and package of electric vehicle fits in real-life customer situations.”
A fleet of 10 demonstration New Mobility Concept cars are already in use in San Francisco through Scoot Networks.