October 6, 2010

Nissan’s Car-Van Hybrid ‘Townpod’ is All Gimick

by iona

Nissan used the Paris Motor Show to showcase their latest design concept, the Townpod, a car-van concept designed for entrepreneurs. Nissan says the theory behind the Townpod is that as the lines between our business and social lives are become increasingly blurred, so our means of transport must be equally multifaceted. The Townpod is open source, so you can design applications you want to see in it. One of the gimmicks featured by Nissan includes the ‘puck’, a rubber ball with a slot that can hold cupholders (not cups), iPod brackets (but not iPhones), and that can be placed pretty much anywhere in the car. Sounds a little daft to me. The Townpod has eight doors, including two in the roof, and rear seats that slide away into the backs of the fronts seats to make it more van-like. The car is also eco-friendly, being electrically-powered. Charging points are in the nose of the car, hidden behind an automatic cover.

I would be very surprised if this hybrid driving concept thing ever hit the streets.

[USA Today]