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Nissan’s Nguyen Discusses We Lounge and Pedestrian on Wheels Concepts

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Nissan director of global upstream planning Rachel Nguyen and Nissan are looking further down the road toward future Nissan vehicle concepts.  A conversation with Automotive News reveals two of these concepts that could potentially become production vehicles in the next decade: the We Lounge and the Pedestrian on Wheels.

The We Lounge will act as something of a mobile living room; part-minivan, part-shuttle, part-rental car, this self-guided vehicle will be available to take tourists or groups out for a day of sightseeing that removes them from the hassles of traffic.  It was just seven years ago when consumer response to autonomous vehicles proved tepid, according to Nguyen.  With a 2020 deadline looming, Nissan has just tested a self-driving LEAF and left the car-buying public swooning.

The Pedestrian on Wheels is being aimed at cities such as Florence, Italy, where vehicles have been banned for the safety of pedestrians.  The Pedestrian on Wheels would be a small, zero-emissions EV fit for one or two occupants and capable of carrying luggage or groceries for those on the move.  The design appears to be some kind of strange hybrid between a golf cart and the family cars of both The Jetsons and The Flintstones.

“These ideas may seem far out, but we have to look out beyond the usual four- and five-year horizon because things are changing so fast,” Nguyen told Automotive News. “They could actually happen sooner than you expect.”

What do you think about We Lounge and the Pedestrian on Wheels?