While SUVs and high-riding body styles have been the choice of manufacturers and designers to better integrate the EV powertrain packaging, Nissan has sketched their driver’s car in the form of a 2-seat convertible.
The Nissan Max-Out Concept is briefly described as a convertible that surpasses the conventions of driving excitement. Built on an all-new platform and powertrain that features a new thin battery pack, the Max-Out Concept is aimed to deliver the joys of sports cars- steering precision, response and oneness with the car.
Under the ‘Nissan Ambition 2030’ business plan focussing on electrification for this decade, the company will be engineering and developing a new electric car platform that will underpin as many as 15 new models by 2030 including Infiniti, with its proprietary all-solid-state battery (ASSB) as the technological highlight.
Nissan will continue to evolve its lithium-ion battery technologies and introduce cobalt-free technology to bring down the cost to USD75 (approx. RM318) per kWh or a 65% reduction by the year 2028. From there, the introduction of ASSBs will further reduce the price to a competitive level of USD65 (approx. RM275) per kWh, a key parameter to achieve cost parity between EV and combustion engine vehicles in the future.
Charging time is also said to be slashed to just one-third with the ASSB technology.
Of the four concept vehicles shown, the white SUV called ‘Chill-Out’ looks the most familiar, as the vehicle was first unveiled as the new EV that will be built in Nissan’s UK plant in Sunderland. Apart from a new product, the facility will also undergo a GBP500 million investment that includes its own solar farms to form a ‘microgrid’ and a battery plant.
The ‘Chill-Out’ is said to replace the Nissan Leaf as the brand’s core EV model, and with pick-up trucks a key segment in the US, Nissan has also sketched the idea of an EV model. The Nissan Surf-Out Concept aims to provide consumers with even better experiences in the outdoors thanks to the vehicle’s variety of power sources and large, flat cargo bay with great performance over multiple terrains.
Nissan Ambition 2030 will also push the company to introduce as many as 23 new electrified models including E-Power technology by the end of this decade and hopes to see the four key markets (Europe, China, Japan and the US) have a high sales mix, with Europe targeted to be the highest at 75%.
GALLERY
Nissan Max-Out Concept
Nissan Surf-Out Concept
Nissan Hang-Out Concept
Nissan Chill-Out Concept
