Nissan launches egg-shaped, swivelling car

Japanese carmaker Nissan acknowledges that some of the technology used in its electric Pivo concept will reach the market long before the car does.

But that's what motor show concepts are all about.

Carmakers use them to show off next-generation technology and draw attention to their newest production vehicles.

"Who knows, in 10 years our March [Micra] could look like this," said Shiro Nakamura, Nissan's design chief.

The Pivo - named after the word "pivot" and designed with the help of renowned Japanese artist Takashi Murakami - features an egg-shaped, three-seater cabin that swivels around 360 degrees, eliminating the need for a reverse gear.

"With this feature, parking in tight spots is a cinch," said the car's designer, Masato Inoue.

The battery-powered Pivo uses drive-by-wire technology, which eliminates the mechanical linkages between cabin and chassis to enable steering, braking and shifting gears through electronic signals.

It's the automotive version of fly-by-wire technology, which has controlled commercial jet planes for more than a decade.

"With the Pivo concept, we want to demonstrate the many possibilities that drive-by-wire could achieve," said Inoue.

Nissan will publicly unveil the Pivo at the Tokyo motor show on October 22.

At a preview, a driver slid the 2.7m long Pivo into a tight imaginary parking spot, then rotated the cabin with the push of a button to face "backwards" to come out of the space in one motion.

The concept also uses new lithium-ion battery technology that could dramatically extend the range of electric vehicles.