Nissan next-generation EV concepts to be unveiled at Japan Mobility Show

ATSUGI, Japan — Erstwhile electric vehicle pioneer Nissan Motor Co. plans to show five next-generation EV concept vehicles at this month's Japan Mobility Show to tout its future direction in emissions-free product and reclaim its momentum from more than a decade ago.

Japan's No. 3 automaker previewed the first concept Tuesday in a digital briefing at the company's global design studio here south of Tokyo. The radically chiseled and angular Nissan Hyper Urban highlights several design features that may appear in the brand's future EVs.

Those announcements will come Oct. 10, 17 and 19. But Nissan said not all of those concept vehicles will be displayed physically at the Tokyo exhibition.

A fifth EV concept will take the stand in physical form. But global marketing and branding boss Allyson Witherspoon said Nissan is keeping that one under wraps as a "surprise saved for the show."

The reincarnated Tokyo Motor Show runs Oct. 25-Nov. 5, with media days on Oct. 25-26.

The rollout of EV concepts highlights Nissan Motor Co.'s redoubled focus on electrification, as it targets 44 percent of its global sales from EVs or e-Power hybrid vehicles by its 2026 fiscal year. The company helped pioneer electric vehicles with the mass-market Nissan Leaf hatchback in 2010, but today its lineup trails rivals, leaning mostly on the Leaf and all-electric Ariya crossover.

Alfonso Albaisa, senior vice president for global design, introduced the chiseled Hyper Urban concept at a new design viewing hall with a massive, curved LED screen that allows for an immersive viewing experience of up to six life-size digital and virtual reality vehicles.

The screen, supplied by Japanese electronics giant Sony Corp., boosts Nissan's design process efficiency by some 35 percent in terms of time and money saved.

"We're liberating not only money, but we're also liberating time, and this is the space that will enable that," Albaisa said of the new facility, which adjoins an open-air viewing patio.

Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida will review the first design this way for final approval in the coming weeks. It is unclear what nameplate that will be.

The Hyper Urban concept foreshadows Nissan's future design direction, with sleek, angular, geometric bodywork. To improve aerodynamics, the concept gets a pass-through, or bridge, hood that allows air to flow from the front fascia vents, under the hood and up the windshield.

The creased exterior delivers a chromatic shift with every change of the viewing angle.

Designers envision the Hyper Urban as having a full array of vehicle-to-grid charging capability and an artificial intelligence system that optimizes energy flow between surrounding buildings while customizing the instrument panel and display to the driver's mood.

The front seats collapse and fold into the back, creating what Nissan calls a private relaxation space, where people can stretch their legs and chill. Nissan went so far as to say people should park the Hyper Urban inside their loft apartment or bungalow as a perfect place to unwind.