Tokyo Preview: Nissan Pivo 2 - swiveling electric car with no reverse gear
At the Tokyo Motor Show later this month, Nissan will be showing off this updated version of the Pivo electric concept that they displayed two years ago in Tokyo. Like the original, this lithium ion-powered commuter eliminates the need for a reverse gear by having the entire cabin swivel around on the platform. Of course making this kind of system work means all the controls are of the by-wire type. Propulsion and braking are both performed by wheel motors which can also swivel ninety degrees allowing for crab like parallel parking. If you're in Tokyo next week, the Pivo 2 will be on display in the Nissan Ginza Gallery ahead of the motor show. Details are in the press release after the jump.
[Source: Nissan]
THE FUTURE IS ELECTRIC FOR NISSAN
- Pivo 2 concept turns heads and itself in Tokyo -
TOKYO (Oct. 5, 2007)-Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., today unveiled the Pivo 2, an advanced electric concept car that will debut at the upcoming Tokyo Motor Show. Pivo 2 builds on the popularity of the first Pivo, shown at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show. Powered by advanced Compact Lithium-ion Batteries and featuring a unique rotating cabin - meaning no reverse gear required - the first Pivo became a cult hit at shows from Beijing to Geneva.
Pivo 2 Concept Car
Reasons to love Pivo 2:
- Electric power from Nissan's advanced Lithium-ion batteries
- A robotic agent to share every trip
- 'Revolutionary' technology with 360 degree turning cabin and 90 degree turning wheels
Where the first Pivo, with its fully rotating cabin design, made reversing obsolete, the Pivo 2 takes that easy mobility concept to a new level. Each of the four wheels are powered by Nissan's advanced electric In-wheel 3D Motor and can turn through 90 degrees to allow Pivo 2 to drive sideways as well as forward.
Thanks to the highly innovative Robotic Agent, you are never alone in the Pivo 2. With conversations possible in Japanese and English, the Robotic Agent has been created to work with Pivo 2 to make every journey less stressful. It provides a unique interface through which to communicate with Pivo 2 on everything from basic vehicle functions through to the nearest available parking.
Pivo 2 will be on display at the Nissan Ginza Gallery in Tokyo, for an exclusive public sneak preview ahead of the Motor Show.
PIVO 2 PUBLIC PREVIEW EVENT
Venue: The Nissan Ginza Gallery
5-8-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Dates: Oct. 13, 2007 (Sat) to Oct. 14, 2007 (Sun)
Time: 10:00-20:00
Pivo 2 will then be exhibited - together with four other exciting production and concept vehicles at the Tokyo Motor Show, starting October 27.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Branko Grzetic 6:33AM (6/11/2008)
Nissan pivo is a conscious plagiarism of my 2002 awarded work sent to Mr Murakami from London and Mr.James Toks.
Regards, branko.grzetic@ri.t-com.hr
Tel/Fax **++5 51 255 544
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jack marchand 10:13PM (4/03/2009)
April 2 2009 ---
Note: side motion and rotation are "old hat" even JEEP & TOYOTA are copying me.
For more data check my old web sites below
http://trillions.topcities.com/electriCar.html
http://trillions.topcities.com/electriCar1.html
http://trillions.topcities.com/electriCar2.html
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jack marchand 5:24PM (4/06/2009)
april 6,2009
continued from comment 10 above
In this web page --
http://trillions.topcities.com/electriCar2.html
-- proceed down to 15% To 50% its length for more info
also in
http://trillions.topcities.com/00strtrag7.html
go half way down to item #76 page 1 on the right in mid-page
titled "this is really wild" it dates back to Jan 13, 1995
jack marchand
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GoodCheer 10:55AM (10/05/2007)
"This lithium ion-powered commuter eliminates the need for a reverse gear by having the entire cabin swivel around on the platform."
How does that eliminate the need for reverse again? So if I pull into a parking spot with cars in front of me and on both sides... how do I get out? I suppose that with electric hub motors there are no drive gears at all, so the statement is a truism, but this still seems like a particularly pathetic effort at marketing double-speak.
Do they simply mean 'The driver will never move backwards'? That is totally different from not having a reverse gear.
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Domenick 11:19AM (10/05/2007)
I saw the original Pivo this past Spring in Nagoya. It's cool and all that but really, a swiveling passenger compartment is just making things overly complicated.
I think if you can't back out of a parking spot you have no business behind the wheel of a car.
I find the camera system in the Pivo a lot more interesting than this whole pivoting thing.^_^
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eOgas 11:57AM (10/05/2007)
Yeah, that no reverse gear thing is total BS. Sure, the driver never moves backwards, but any idiot can tell you that if the if the driver turns around and the base doesn't, it's still in reverse. I think what they are trying to sell is that you never have to drive backwards (is it really THAT hard?).
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eOgas 12:01PM (10/05/2007)
And I just realized that it would be totally stupid if you had to turn the whole frickin top around just to drive backwards (aka forwards?). I suppose if you were parallel parking, you could just pull out sideways, but if it were a regular parking spot, you'd have to rotate the top around just to get out. Stupid idea.
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Mr. Guiyotinne 1:11PM (10/05/2007)
Pivo in slovak means beer. Probably you would have to be drunk to drive something like this. At least you would enjoy the merry go around...
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Peter 7:08PM (10/05/2007)
The electric motor eliminates the need for a reverse gear, not the swiveling cabin. Because unlike a gasoline engine, an electric motor can easily be spun in the opposite direction.
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Alex Campbell 1:35PM (10/08/2007)
How many electric car concepts will the automakers flash around without ever introducing anything? ZAP has a car on the market today that has forward and reverse. Again, I gave up waiting and am driving electric today and ZAP has entered the auto industry to force the issue. Let's see if the major automakers will start planning for the end of cheap gas.
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Chris M 3:05AM (10/14/2007)
The really neat feature of the Pivo 2 is the way all 4 wheels can swivel, making parallel parking a breeze - even in spots too small for other cars to get into! That kind of feature could be added to a somewhat more practical electric car design without the swiveling cabin.
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