Nissan updates quirky Pivo for Tokyo show, rolls out new van
Photo credit: Nissan
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TOKYO -- Nissan Motor Co. is rolling out an edgier, more "realistic" update of its compact Pivo electric car with four-wheel independent steering at this month's Tokyo Motor Show.
The Pivo3 looks much closer to market than either of its "bubble-on-wheels" predecessors, the first of which was shown at the 2005 Tokyo show. The Pivo2 appeared two years later.
But like its cousins, which take the name Pivo from "pivot," the Pivo3 is highly maneuverable with a tight 6.5-foot turning radius, thanks to in-wheel motors that allow its wheels to turn independently. The car can do a U-turn on 13-foot roads.
Photo credit: Nissan
Another big difference: The Pivo3 features what Nissan calls "Automatic Valet Parking." The technology allows the Pivo3 to park itself in specially equipped parking lots. While the driver is away, the car also recharges its battery. And when it is time to go, the driver simply summons the Pivo3 by mobile phone and the car drives by itself to pick up its owner.
"We believe Pivo 3 is very close to what the next step in urban mobility will be," Nissan says.
Also making its world debut at the Tokyo show will the Nissan NV350, a production van that will go on sale in Japan next summer. It is a larger follow up to the NV200 van, which goes on sale in the U.S. in 2013 and won the contract to be the next-generation New York City taxi.
Press days for the Tokyo Motor Show are Nov. 30 to Dec. 1.
You can reach Hans Greimel at hgreimel@crain.com. -- Follow Hans on 
