Revealed at the 2023 Shanghai Auto Show, the Nissan Arizon concept was designed by a Chinese team “to serve as a multifunctional partner for drivers in China,” according to a press release from the automaker.
However, it is based on the global CMF-EV platform, so it might be as simple as a redesign or a rework using the fundamentals of the Ariya and Nissan’s e-4orce AWD system but with a preview of a production model for the Chinese market. That platform will already be shared with upcoming electric vehicles from Nissan’s affiliated brands—Infiniti, Renault, and Mitsubishi—in multiple markets, with Renault already selling the Megan E-Tech Electric in Europe.
In fact, most of the distinctive features of the Arizon concept are related to technology, not mechanics. It features a “virtual personal assistant” named Eporo that can convey information such as weather forecasts “similarly to humans,” according to Nissan. The concept also showcases adaptive ambient lighting, with different modes including “leisure, relaxation, sleep, and surprise.”
Nissan also showcased the Max-Out in Shanghai, which is a concept originally revealed (in representation) in 2021 and may hint at an upcoming electric sports car. When first introduced, Nissan stated it aimed to launch 15 electric vehicles by 2030 and have solid-state batteries ready for production by 2028 as part of a plan called Nissan Ambition 2030.
Nissan recently accelerated its electric vehicle plan for Europe and Japan but not for the U.S. It has several electric vehicles manufactured in the United States slated to roll out from Mississippi in 2025, and the Ariya and the Leaf are likely to remain its only electric vehicles for this market until then.
