Nissan Hyper Tourer Concept Is The Autonomous EV Van Of The Future

Nissan tantalizes with a box-shaped EV concept.

The Japan Mobility Show is about a week away, and yet automakers have continued to reveal their debuts online before the show. The Nissan Hyper Tourer concept is a boxy, styled-with-a-razor autonomous EV van concept that might be a portent of what the brand has come in the near future.

Styling is typical Nissan concept fare – it’s a bronze-colored van; the initial shape isn’t all that interesting, but the Hyper Tourer’s harsh side surfacing makes it look cool. The front fascia is devoid of most features, save for a big hole and panel that features a glowing Nissan logo. The white line that goes around the car serves not only as a styling element but as the car’s headlight (in front) and mood lighting on the side. It’s a vehicle that’s deceptively simple, but actually very complex if you look closely.

The interior is nearly as wild as the exterior. Because the Hyper Tourer is an autonomous, electric vehicle designers had free reign to make the interior as airy and open as possible. Both rows of seats can swivel and face each other, allowing for conversation, or “nurturing and reinforcing the bond between people as they journey together,” according to Nissan’s press release. Nissan was vague about the Hyper Tourer’s battery, power, or other technical specifications, but it did say that the van would use a solid-state battery, and send power to all four wheels.

This type of vehicle isn’t quite as popular here in North America, if anything the Hyper Urban Concept would be more attuned to North American tastes. But, the overall styling shows us what Nissan is thinking for its EV future, and if it’s half as interesting as the Hyper Tourer or Hyper Urban, then we’ve got a lot to look forward to.

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