Nissan présentera son concept electro-solaire Nuvu au mondial de l'Auto à Paris

Le constructeur Nissan présentera début octobre à l'occasion du mondial de l'automobile de Paris un nouveau concept-car appelé "Nuvu".

Compact, il ne mesurera que 3 mètres de long et disposera d'une répartition des sièges originale : 2 passagers à l'avant et un passager à l'arrière.

Nissan précise que le concept dévoilé lors du Mondial ne sera pas celui qu'il compte commercialiser d'ici 2010 mais partage déjà un important contenu technologique : un toit recouvert de panneaux solaires afin de permettre une partie de la recharge des batteries mais également la conception du véhicule grâce à des matériaux entièrement recyclables.

Nissan n'a encore dévoilé aucune image de cet engin, il faudra donc attendre l'ouverture du salon de l'auto le 4 octobre prochain pour le découvrir.


Communiqué de Nissan - en Anglais

Nissan's vision for the future of urban transportation is encapsulated in Nuvu, literally a 'new view' of the type of car we will be driving in the middle of the next decade. Compact - it's just 3 meters long - Nuvu is a concept vehicle with unique 2+1 seating. It is aimed at urban dwellers who don't want to compromise on their personal freedom or their comfort, yet who appreciate that there is a need for a dramatic change in the way we move around our cities.

Nuvu is an electric vehicle, is agile, easy to drive and even easier to park. Nissan has already announced plans to introduce an all-electric car in Japan and the US in 2010 and to mass-market it globally in 2012. Nuvu is not that car, though it does share some of the technology that will feature in the planned production vehicle.

Nuvu incorporates a witty representation of Nissan's green credentials: across its all-glass roof are a dozen or so small solar panels. Shaped like leaves on a branch, the power they generate is fed to the battery using a 'tree trunk' within the car as a conduit. Nuvu also uses natural, organic and recycled materials within the cabin.

Nuvu is compact on the outside yet roomy on the inside. Built on a unique platform, it sits on a wheelbase of 1980 mm but is 1700 mm wide and 1550 mm tall to create a large and airy cabin.

These dimensions provide all the interior room needed for the vast majority of city journeys. Nuvu has two regular seats and a third occasional chair that can be folded down when required. But, unlike some two-seater city cars currently on the market, it is a thoroughly practical proposition with an integral luggage area providing sufficient space for a typical supermarket or shopping expedition.

"Nuvu is a concept car, for sure, but it is an entirely credible vehicle," says Francois Bancon, General Manager, Exploratory and Advanced Planning Department, Product Strategy and Product Planning Division, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

"It is light, clean and easy to drive. It is practical and a sensible size, yet it is also embodies an element of fun: the future doesn't look so bad, after all."