Nissan unveils its latest EV concept cars at the Tokyo Motor Show

Kunio Nakaguro, Nissan’s executive vice president of global research and development (left) with the IMk Concept and Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan’s senior vice president of global design

Nissan continues to pursue electrification with sights on artificial intelligence as the future of mobility. Its three pillars of Nissan Intelligent Mobility – Intelligent Driving, Intelligent Power and Intelligent Integration embraces all these attributes as it unveiled its two electric concept cars at the press day of the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show. Named the Nissan Ariya Concept and Nissan IMk Concept, the two concept electric vehicles (EVs) are the latest centerpieces of Nissan Intelligent Mobility, outlining the company’s vision for changing how vehicles are powered, driven and integrated into society. These two concept cars showed Nissan’s direction for its upcoming vehicle lineup and the several new possibilities for design and technology that a new EV platform allows.

“These are transformational times for the auto industry, and a new era is opening up for Nissan” said Kunio Nakaguro, Nissan’s executive vice president of global research and development. “We have been among the fastest to develop EVs and highly intelligent driving assistance technologies, and, as shown by our two new concept vehicles, we intend to continue our role as a global pioneer.” The Nissan Leaf EV is the world’s best-selling EV, with close to half a million units sold and 12 billion kilometers accumulated mileage logged by Leaf owners.

The Ariya Concept showcases Nissan’s new design direction, called Timeless Japanese Futurism. According to Nissan, the new design language combines new possibilities incorporating the company’s 100% EV platform with traditional Japanese minimalist themes.

“The Ariya Concept is born in a time of huge technological leaps from our engineers, making visible a blank canvas for design,” said Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan’s senior vice president of global design. “We were able to look forward and back simultaneously, uncovering a new language for the Nissan brand that fuses high technology and the Japanese spirit, combining electric, autonomous and connected functions.”

When asked if Nissan’s iconic GT-R and Z sport cars are also moving out of internal combustion engines (ICEs) and into EVs, Albaisa said that Nissan has been heavily discussing and studying this possibility but declined to give a timeline to this. The Nissan IMk concept on the otherhand, offers advanced Nissan Intelligent Mobility technology and a powerful EV drivetrain in a compact, agile body. The IMk concept’s sleek appearance represents Nissan’s future design language, developed for the coming automotive era.

Albaisa added that the IMk concept was essentially inspired from a Japanese K-car but on a very modern EV platform. The ICE propelled Japanese K-cars with an anemic 660cc internal combustion engines and are very uncomfortable to drive and ride. The IMk concept will change all that, since the cabin space will be free from bulky drivetrains and powertrains and will essentially have a flat floor surface.

Other highlights at the Nissan display at the Tokyo Motor Show includes a new Nissan Skyline, showcasing Nissan’s most advanced driver assistance technology on the road today, ProPILOT 2.0, the Nissan Serena, the company’s most popular minivan, equipped with the award-winning e-POWER system, the Nissan Dayz, the first commuter car equipped with ProPILOT, The zero-emission Nissan LEAF e+, offering an enhanced EV driving and ownership experience and the latest Leaf NISMO RC, a twin-electric motor racing machine.

For the public days, Nissan will place an additional lineup of cars including the 50th anniversary Nissan GT-R and the GT-R NISMO, Nissan Note e-POWER NISMO S Black Limited and the Serena e-POWER AUTECH edition.