Nissan Motor in the US said it was kicking off preview week of the 2016 New York International Auto Show by looking into the future of mobility and discussing how emerging trends already are changing the way people get from place to place, especially in crowded urban environments.
“As large cities continue to grow into megacities globally, we need to better understand how transportation is changing and anticipate what transportation needs will look like in the future,” said Rachel Nguyen, director of the Nissan Future Lab. “With the fast-paced growth of smart technologies and the emergence of the sharing economy, we are studying how this size and package of electric vehicle fits in real life customer situations.”
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Based on the west coast, Future Lab was established in 2014 as an extension of the automaker’s global advanced planning group and looks decades ahead to identify potential issues and opportunities for the business today and into the future. It also looks beyond products and examines the future of mobility in a wider sense. The group is inspired by rapid developments in automotive technology such as electric, autonomous and connected vehicles and trends like ride sharing.
“Urbanisation and the growth of megacities – particularly in developing countries – is the biggest challenge facing the automotive industry,” added Nguyen. “It’s mind boggling to think there’s only about 10 megacities now and in 20 years there will be 30. Mobility is a major driving force central to how these megacities will develop.”
In October, Future Lab partnered with Scoot Networks, adding 10 NNMC’s to Scoot’s fleet in San Francisco, a city that has many of the same traffic and parking challenges as New York City. These test NNMCs (known there as Scoot Quads) rent for US$6 for a half hour use or $80 for a full day.
With their 7.6-foot length, about the size of four-tenths of the redesigned, US-made XD full size pickup truck that will also be on display at the show, the NNMCs have the potential to help reduce pollution and traffic congestion in the city. Parking is also a major benefit, with three able to fit head-in into one parking space (where permitted). For demonstration purposes in New York City, the four vehicles are wrapped in different primary colours with the hashtag #NissanFutureLab down the sides.
The NNMC is based on Nissan alliance partner Renault’s Twizy, which is currently available for sale in select European markets and will be offered in Canada beginning in summer 2016. The NNMC has been specially imported by Nissan for demonstration and testing purposes for the duration of this research project.
