Next up in the line of China debuts at the Shanghai Auto Show, the Venucia VIWA Electric Vehicle Concept. It may not reach our shores or even see production, but it might have some hints about the next-generation Nissan Leaf.
Despite the seemingly hellbent intent of China's industries to smother their own people in smog, much of the country's pollution actually stems from the rising number of cars. To combat the choking fumes, the Chinese government has set up tax incentives, much like the US, to make car buying easier.
To that end, Dongfeng Nissan Passenger Vehicle Company (also known by the catchy acronym of DFL-PV), the passenger vehicle business unit of Nissan's joint venture in China with Dongfeng, has unveiled the VIWA under its Venucia brand.
Venucia already has some experience with electric cars, releasing its E30 (a re-badged Nissan Leaf, not that E30, unfortunately) under a pilot program in Guangzhou and Dalian.
The VIWA looks a bit like a Chevy Spark sutured onto a Nissan Leaf in the back with a nice dousing of orange paint, but it could herald some upgrades for the Leaf in the local Chinese market, according to the guys in the know at ChinaAuto Web.
At the very least, it looks as if Nissan is still investing in its EV program, despite battery issues and less-than-stellar sales.