Daihatsu Pico concept commuter EV hands-on

Using LEDs to display messages on the back of a car? Looks like we have yet another contender with the same idea, except this time all four sides get an LED panel each. The idea behind Daihatsu's Pico concept EV is that it can interact with surrounding pedestrians and drivers using messages with matching colors. For instance, the LED belt can issue a red warning on the back if a car is following too closely; or when driving past pedestrians in close proximity (think rascal scooters but with front and back seats), the belt can turn green and indicate that the car's limited to a safe top speed of 3.7mph.

Other than that, the Pico's very much just a cute little EV with a driving range of up to 31 miles (with a full two-hour charge), plus a top speed of 31mph. We also dig the touchscreen console inside the car, but with just the two LED bars acting as doors, we sure hope it'll withstand a bit of rain. Video after the break.

Source:http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/01/daihatsu-pico-concept-commuter-ev-hands-on/

Nissan Pivo 3 extreme agility concept EV hands-on

Nope, there's nothing wrong with those wheels. As you may recall, this is Nissan's Pivo 3, the company's latest concept EV that provides extreme agility using its four oddly pivoted, individually powered wheels. While we couldn't see this three-seater make sharp U-turns and do automatic parking at the Tokyo Motor Show, our very own Zach Honig managed to get his finger and trouser grease all over it.

Behind those pop-out doors one of the most interesting features we saw was the subtle side-view cameras with accompanying screens, thus reducing the car's width. Also, it turns out the lone steering wheel handles all four wheels, meaning the driver won't have to sacrifice too much brain power over multiple controls. That said, we can imagine that even the most experienced drivers may find this car to be a tough animal to tame initially -- the lady in Nissan's earlier demo looked like she had to steer dramatically around sharp corners. But keep the car going straight and it'll accelerate up to 120km/h (75mph), while on a single charge it can go up to 100km (62 miles). Video after the break.

Source:http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/01/nissan-pivo-3-extreme-agility-concept-ev-hands-on/

Nissan sells more than 20,000 Leafs in first year, high-fives commence on Tokyo Motor Show floor

You win this round, hippies! Only a few months after announcing that it sold 10,000 all-electric Leaf cars in international markets, Nissan stated at the Tokyo Motor Show today that the company has sold over 20,000 Leafs since the car went on sale in December of 2010. Of the 9,000 Leafs that have been sold to U.S. owners, over 60 percent went to homes in California, where owners no doubt admire their electric cars while enjoying their tasty organic kale and starfruit smoothies. The company also added that it expects to sell more than 10,000 Leafs in the U.S. by the end of 2011, which dovetails perfectly into their predictions. Given that the Japanese EV's prime competition has been plagued by concerns about its flammability, Nissan might just exceed those expectations.
Source:http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/30/nissan-sells-more-than-20-000-leafs-in-first-year-high-fives-co/