Making an electric car boxy without drifting away from the idea of lending it a futuristic look takes a special skill set. That’s what Nissan has achieved with its new Concept 20-23, designed to be a fun city electric car that you’d want to “drive every day in London,” as Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan’s senior vice president for global design, put it.
He also emphasized the fact that the concept is inspired by the online racing world. To sum it up, the electric hatchback is the perfect intersection of modern city living, online gaming and zero-emission mobility. The car is a true reflection of the “Nissan Ambition 2030 target of introducing 27 electrified vehicles by the year 2030. THe Japanese automotive giant also plans to have solid-state batteries in all its EVs by 2028, thereby achieving a 65 percent reduction in the cost of energy storage.
Designer: Nissan
The electric hot hatch, crafted to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Nissan Design Europe, is fitted with an all-electric powertrain with the option to drive it in both urban and sporty modes. Formula-1 influence of the Concept 20-23 is evident as soon as you step inside via the scissor doors. White bucket seats and the square steering wheel mounted on a carbon fiber column indicate Nissan’s intent to pitch the EV to speed addicts. The minimalist interior enhances the concept’s distraction-free aesthetic, focused on just pushing the foot to the metal.
The aggressive aero styling radiates the sporty character of the concept amplified by the semi-circular dissected headlights and the taillights. Sporty elements like the huge rear lip spoiler, wide arches and the roof scoop feeding air add cool factor to the cute little sexy thing. If ever Mini Cooper would ever get some serious competition from an EV or any hatchback, this would be it.
For now, Nissan has no plans of pushing the Concept 20-23 into the production lines. However, we want to see this baby roll on the streets, given its killer sharp looks fused perfectly with the sumptuous contours where required. Hone its torque, gear ratios and power delivery capabilities, and motorheads have got a winning hatchback in proposition.
