Nissan Townpod Concept

While Nissan Townpod has been created with the world's entrepreneurs in mind, its appeal is likely to go beyond this expanding demographic to new families building their first home or retirees turning a hobby into a business. In other words, anybody who appreciates the customizable utility of its van-like abilities coupled with a chic and stylish cockpit designed with the future and not just today, in mind.

Nissan Townpod provides a simple platform, which each user can individually tune to their own peculiar needs.

Be they a musician transporting their kit between gigs, a delicatessen proprietor distributing their wares or an architect carrying drawings to a client, each can adapt the interior of their Nissan Townpod using proprietary as well as third-party sourced accessories.

Externally Nissan Townpod consist of many familiar elements, yet it is different.

It employs the same zero-emission technology found within Nissan LEAF. Charging points can be found in the nose behind an automatically retracting cover, which appears to be backlit thanks to its electric blue painted surrounds reflecting subtly off the car's "Stratosphere White" body paint.

Similar electric blue hints are visible behind the door handles, number plate, the spokes of the alloy wheels and within the headlamp pods.

The car does not need to shout that it is an EV. It more subtly suggests its ecological and economical credentials.

The headlights reflect Nissan Townpod's philosophy of stylish utility by serving as position markers when the blue "petals" are closed and headlights when open, while the external location of the pods eases basic maintenance.

Similarly, the semi-silvered coating over the indicators is not just for effect. The mirror-like finish turns them into modern reflectors when the turn signals are not in use.

The innovative position of the headlights also allows a coupe-esque bonnet line, not dissimilar to Nissan Z, which feeds in to a visor-like wraparound, blue tinted glass house, reminiscent of Nissan Cube, while the galls to body proportions hark back to the rat-rods of the fifties.

The car is decidedly more van-like with its split rear doors. The rear features back lights on the right, a number plate on the left, and a rear-door handle set into a concave surface .

Viewed from above the car's space-maximising rectangular footprint flows into an elliptical roof, offering more graceful lines as well as increased aerodynamic efficiency.

The rear lights are designed to reflect light like cut jewels when not in use, and to sparkle rather than simply glow when illuminated.

Innovative hinges allow the rear doors to slide, then open in confined spaces and then fold to the side of the car so as not to obstruct passing traffic or pedestrians.

As the rear lights are positioned in the all encompassing rear doors a second set of position and indicator lights is located in the bottom sill of the doorway.

A hatch-like sun roof, directly above the cargo area, allows Nissan Townpod to carry taller objects.

The idea of simple form following function continues within Nissan Townpod. The cargo area, passenger space and dashboard are remarkably uncluttered yet do not feel spartan.

Just because the interior is utilitarian by design does not mean that it cannot be stylish.

The driver is faced with an uncomplicated yet futuristic steering wheel and two familiar stalks to operate the lights and wipers, but other than these controls - which are beautifully simple in their own light - the flowing dashboard is devoid of mechanical switches.

Forward or rearward drive is selected using an uncomplicated joystick set into the right-hand side of the driver's seat base.

All controls for ancillaries such as climate control and media playback are accessed through two centrally mounted digital screens.

The upper monitor serves as an instrument panel, displaying car speed, battery status and remaining range as well as a satellite navigation system.

This system is also equipped with Bluetooth wireless technology, allowing it to communicate with the driver's Personal Digital Assistant (PDA).

The lower touchscreen provides all controls for the navigation system, allows users to perform system checks on the whole car and operates Nissan Townpod's audio system.

Access to the cargo area from the rear is unobstructed, thanks to the ingeniously hinged back doors, while gaping apertures on either side mean that cumbersome loads, or wriggling toddlers, can be placed in the car with ease at the curbside. These ultra wide doorways are possible because there is no "B-pillar" set between the traditionally hinged front doors and the sliding doors at the rear, with the locking mechanism of the former set into the leading edge of the latter.