Nissan Thinks This Tiny Car May Be the Future of Urban Transportation The car maker showcased its New Mobility Concept vehicle at the New York International Auto Show.
By Nina Zipkin
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The logistics around maintaining a car when you're living in a major metropolitan area can be a serious pain.
Worrying about your carbon footprint while stuck in city traffic and hunting for the Holy Grail of a consistent parking space may lead many a car owner to decide it is more trouble than it's worth. Nissan revealed an adorable concept car on Tuesday at the 2016 New York International Auto Show to address those concerns.
Related: Alphabet's Sidewalk Labs Is Building a Platform to Make Traffic Less Horrible
The Nissan New Mobility Concepts, or NNMC, is a 100 percent electric car at a sprightly 7.6 feet in length -- bigger than a small motorcycle but smaller than a full-sized car. It's possible for three of these tiny vehicles to fit into one parking space.
"With the fast-paced growth of smart technologies and the emergence of the sharing economy," Nissan Future Lab Director Rachel Nguyen says in a release, "we are studying how this size and package of electric vehicle fits in real-life customer situations."
There are 10 NNMCs being tested in San Francisco, where drivers can rent one for $6 for a half hour on the road, or plunk down $80 for a whole day.
Related: Uber and Lyft Will Collaborate With Public Transportation So You Don't Have to Own a Car
The vehicles can fit up to two passengers and were designed for short distance trips. They're not built for a road trip, but it may just fit the bill for a drive to the grocery store and back -- though not quickly, as the car's top speed is 25 mph.
