Tokyo Motor Show 2011: Nissan’s Zero Emission Concept Cars [with video]

Nissan’s vision for mobility comes with a goal: zero emission from its cars (apart from any pollution from the energy-generation end). To that end, the company is pouring considerable resources into electric vehicles. Three electric-car concepts rolled out at the Nissan stand at Tokyo: the Pivo3, Townpod, and Esflow. And the Nissan Leaf was on prominent display. (See below for video.)

Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn: “Nissan LEAF owners have driven nearly 57 million kilometers, saved 3 million liters of fuel, which translates into 7,300 tons of CO2 that have not been emitted. In 2012, we will begin production of Nissan LEAF in the United States. By fiscal year 2016, the Renault-Nissan Alliance will have sold a cumulative 1.5 million electric vehicles.

“The concept cars here today…are not exercises in design fantasy, but viable transport solutions for tomorrow’s digitally connected, urban societies, where “smart houses” and “smart communities” support zero-emission mobility.”

Pivo3 is the culmination of three generations of ultra-compact transportation. Previous models featured a rotating cabin that allowed the car to go into a parking slot, turn its cabin, and drive straight out. The latest Pivo3 is a more in line with current technology. It’s angular lines are still futuristic, but a Pivo closer to a future production EV. But it is still a Pivo—from the word pivot—so it is still ultra-maneuverable. Its rear wheels are capable of turning in the opposite direction as the fronts, to reduce turning radius. Pivo3 is capable of making a U-turn on a four-meter road—which is to say, any normal road in the world. Its sub-three meter body contains three seats, with the driver in the center. What’s more is that the Pivo3 can park and retrieve itself at a building equipped with the proper sensors.

Townpod is pure Tokyo Motor Show concept: from the face that looks like a friendly puppy, to the curved white skin (although it debuted a few months ago in Paris). The Townpod is a combination of coupe and wagon. It features three split doors and the sunroof splits open as well to allow the car to carry tall objects.

Then there’s the Esflow: a rear-wheel drive two-seat sports car. Esflow features two electric motors, for each of the rear wheels. Performance specs include 0-100 km/h in under five seconds, with a 240-km range on a single charge.

What was truly significant at the Nissan stand—the Leaf: the world’s first “affordable” mass-market electric vehicle. The Leaf features an all-electric powertrain for zero emission motoring. The C-segment, five-seat, five-door hatchback can cruise at up to 140 km/h, and has a range of up to 160 km. At the previous Tokyo Motor Show, Mr. Ghosn stated that Leaf production was one of their main goals, and two years later, the Leaf is rolling out of Nissan’s Oppama factory, ready to (re)charge.