The Nissan IMx Concept is a zero-emission, all-electric crossover with fully autonomous capability. — AFP Relaxnews
While some manufacturers such as Mazda at the Tokyo Motor Show are adamant about not rushing down the driverless vehicle route, others appear to be going "all-in". That's certainly the message coming out of Nissan as the company has revealed the IMx concept, which is a zero-emission, all-electric crossover with fully autonomous capability.
This extremely innovative concept provides us with a look into the future of Nissan Intelligent Mobility, which is the manufacturer's vision and approach to the development of how vehicles are powered, how they are driven, and how they integrate into a changing society. The idea is to enhance and improve the link between the car and its driver, with the car becoming a close and reliable partner providing an ever-safer, more convenient, and more enjoyable driving experience.
A number of perceived obstacles to the wider take-up of electric cars appear to be being addressed by the exciting new IMx concept. First of all, it could get close to making range anxiety a thing of the past as the claimed range on a single charge of the IMx is an impressive 373 miles, or 600 kilometers. Secondly, it steals a move from the Tesla playbook by being a stunningly attractive crossover.
Last, but by no means least, the performance of this concept promises to be something to truly write home about, too. The IMx is powered by two high-output electric motors at the front and rear, which provide the Nissan with all-wheel-drive capability. They also work together to produce a huge 320 kW of power (429 horsepower) and an astounding 700 Nm of torque (516 lb-ft.), which comes from a high-capacity battery that's been designed and engineered for greater energy density.
At the heart of the IMx's advanced technological feature set is a future version of Nissan's ProPILOT system offering completely autonomous operation of the vehicle. When the ProPILOT drive mode is selected, the steering wheel actually disappears into the dashboard and all the seats will recline, creating more space for the driver and letting the rest of the passengers relax and enjoy the journey. Of course, when manual mode is reselected, the steering wheel reappears, the seats return to their original position, and control of the vehicle is seamlessly restored to the human driver. — AFP Relaxnews
