Nissan unveils all-electric TeRRA SUV
1. The Nissan TeRRA SUV concept, unveiled at the 2012 Paris Motor Show
combines two outstanding Nissan strengths – SUVs and EVs – in a vehicle that is
equally in its element off-road in the wild or gliding silently through a
sophisticated urban setting. With an innovative 4x4 fuel-cell electric
powertrain and an athletic exterior that projects an unforgettable presence
beyond its compact dimensions, TeRRA takes sustainable motoring into exciting
new territory.less
2. Envisioned as "the one and only Zero Emission SUV," TeRRA
builds on Nissan's success with urban-relevant SUVs and crossovers like Murano
and Qashqai and asserts that its zero-emission expertise extends all the way to
fuel cells. Designed as a functional and flexible choice for tomorrow's
youthful, "always on" consumers, TeRRA answers their aspiration for
eco-friendliness along with a secure driving feel under any road conditions.less
3. "Our challenge was to take Nissan's strength in SUVs and
crossovers forward into the zero-emissions era, fuel cells being our new
frontier in zero emission mobility" said Francois Bancon, Nissan's
devision general manager of product strategy and planning. "Not big and
tough for the desert, the aim was a new approach to SUVs that's relevant to
urban life. The unique diagonal seating layout that offers an exciting driving
experience thanks to exceptional visibility that creates a sense of being in
control under any conditions."less
4. Tough on the outside, warm and welcoming within
"We took our inspiration from the lifestyles of youthful customers in
Northern Europe," said Shiro Nakamura, Nissan senior vice president and
chief creative officer. "We heard their aspiration for sustainable
mobility that can take them anywhere they want to go."
5. "Exploring our imagination of that natural space with the
exterior, we have redefined the power of the SUV heritage in a much more
athletic way, one that expresses our vision of the zero emissions future,"
Nakamura said.
6. "You have the big tires, high belt-line, thick pillars and thin
side windows of the SUV vocabulary. But with a slender waist between pronounced
fenders above the wheel arches, and a sculptured hood, we've created an
‘Implied Structure' of musculature under the skin. Sharp corners, short
overhangs and sculptured lamps contribute to a clean, confident stance.
7. An aerodynamically flat body pan in an eye-catching color, protecting
the full length of the underside, completes the image of what we call ‘Modern
Toughness.'"
8. Open the door and exterior toughness gives way to a surprisingly warm
and welcoming interior. The door panel is a sculpted fusion of blond wood trim
and colored acrylic, layered in an intriguing pattern. Ringing the cabin at
shoulder height is a metal frame that gives TeRRA's occupants a feeling of
security.
9. The wood/metal contrast continues across the dashboard, a
beechwood-acrylic fusion that exudes a soft warmth. On the driver's side, the
steering and instrument console gently tapers out toward the driver, barely
interrupting the clean lines of the dash.
10. Seamless digital space
Facing the driver is a unique instrument cluster. It's an electronic tablet –
just like today's popular portable devices – that serves as an
"intelligent key." The driver docks it when entering the car and
removes it when leaving. When docked in TeRRA, the tablet's default view
displays speed and other key performance indicators. But the driver can easily
toggle to entertainment, communications, navigation and other views.less
11. Outside the car it provides all the functions we expect from a tablet,
plus it stays continually in touch with the vehicle.The idea is seamless
information and communication, on the road and everywhere else.
12. Offers a fresh perspective on the road
TeRRA's seamlessly connected driver sits front and almost center in a unique
diagonal layout that positions rear passengers over the shoulders of those in
front, rather than directly behind. "For the driver to be nearly centered,
not seated off to one side, provides a fresh, enlightened perspective with
exceptional visibility," Nakamura said. "The diagonal layout allows
all passengers to share the vision of adventures up ahead."less
13. The seats themselves express a hexagonal motif that is carried through
various aspects of the design. Fold the three passenger seats down and you
notice that TeRRA's cabin deck is completely flat, presenting no obstacles to
carrying bikes, kayaks or assemble-yourself furniture from Scandinavia. This
flat surface is a function of the remarkably compact powertrain package that
creates the possibility of this zero-emission concept.
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14. Power, four-by-four; emissions, zero
Although TeRRA is presented as a design concept, not a technical exhibit, its
proposed 4x4 fuel cell electric powertrain is far from imaginary.
Powering the front wheels is the electric propulsion system currently featured
in the Nissan LEAF. In each back wheel, providing all-wheel power as needed, is
an in-wheel electric motor, based on the working prototypes featured in three
successive PIVO concepts. As no drive shafts are required to power the rear
wheels, there is no hump in the cabin floor or on the underbody. This allows
for the flat cabin deck and the underside bodypan.
15. Under the hood is ample space for Nissan's proprietary hydrogen fuel
cell stack: a flat, highly compact unit that features world-leading power
density of 2.5kW/L. The latest in a series of Nissan fuel cells since 1996, the
stack costs just one-sixth of its 2005 predecessor as the need for expensive
precious metals has been slashed to one-quarter of the previous level.
16. TeRRA is purely a concept car, but it signals that Nissan is ready to
mass-produce fuel cell electric vehicles whenever hydrogen becomes widely
available.
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