The Tokyo Motor Show is going on right now. But what did you think was going to happen? Did you actually think you’d wake up to miraculous news of a new 1,000 horsepower Nissan Skyline, or a reborn Z, or an announcement that the IDx is finally happening? No. We live in a place called reality and reality often isn’t a nice place. Meet the Nissan IMx Concept. It’s an electric and autonomous crossover.
Just like a lot of other concepts at the Tokyo Motor Show (besides the stuff Mazda brought), and possibly what the future of cars looks like in general.
I’m a little disappointed Nissan didn’t get us something more exciting for Japan’s home game auto show, but I also recognize realities. The Japanese automakers are racing to catch up in terms of technology but so far Nissan has been the country’s leader in both full EVs and autonomous driving. In general this kind of vehicle is what the entire industry seems to be moving toward and the concept is Nissan’s way of saying “we’re doing it too.”
Supposedly it’s more than just a concept. They’re calling it “a realistic peek into the future of Nissan Intelligent Mobility,” and it promises “fully autonomous driving with no human intervention” thanks to AI and various sensor systems. There is still a human driving mode that can be engaged by flipping a switch. When a person doesn’t need to drive, the steering wheel retracts into the dashboard and the seats recline so the passengers can relax and stare longingly at one another.
On the powertrain side, the IMx has a pair of electric motors that draw power from a large battery built into the floorplan. The motors make a combined 320 kW of power (429 horsepower) and it supposedly can get more than 370 miles on a single charge.
Perhaps most interestingly here, Nissan says the IMx can be charged wirelessly without a cable. They don’t go into how that works here exactly but if that’s a feature Nissan is seriously looking into—like we’re starting to see with cell phones but on a bigger scale—it makes for a very intriguing electric future.
It’s an impressive tech showcase, even if it’s not the most original thing ever. And it’s where the car game is going. I just wish Nissan had bothered to bring something a little more fun and engaging too, but I’ve all but given up hope on that front.
Maybe Toyota will deliver. Where’s that damn Supra already?