Would you be willing to go social with your car?

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At least Nissan thinks that’s a future possibility.

 

Presenting the Teatro for Dayz, a concept vehicle from Nissan, which  will grace  the floors of the Tokyo Motor Show this year. If you were to ask us, we are still scratching our heads over the name and the design of this vehicle. 

 

 

The car has been designed keeping the ‘itchy-finger’ smartphone generation in mind. It's way different from what we normally would call cars and intends to use mobile technologies unlike any previously imagined in a car. Combined with Nissan's EV technology, this car represents a radical new way of thinking about how vehicles can be used.

 

The current generation learned to operate the buttons on the smartphone even before they could walk, Nissan has caught on to this trend. Nissan's Product Planning General Manager Hidemi Sasaki calls this generation “share natives”. He says: “What share natives want from cars is not the joy of driving or their own private space, but a better way to connect with friends and share experiences.”

 

 

Through repeated sampling of next-generation customers, Nissan began to form a symbolic picture of share natives. Their study results told them that these share natives tend to look beyond the car's basic role of transportation. They want a car to be a versatile tool for creativity like a smartphone. This is different from customising a car. It is more like the ability to modify a car to meet their mood at that moment. 

 

EV technology fits into the picture because Share Natives are already accustomed to recharging their devices at home, so EVs fit their lifestyles far better than cars that require regular visits to a fuel pump. With a driving range ample for short commutes, Teatro for Dayz can serve as a giant mobile battery, which can be used anywhere to recharge mobile devices (This will definitely take some paperwork, years of research and crossing a lot red tapes before it sees daylight in India).

 

 

“Is this really a car?” After all, all you see inside are solid white seats, a steering wheel and two pedals. Nissan calls this the “Future Canvas” interior concept:, where the appearance can transform according to your whim. Image display technology supports this concept—turning seats, headrests, door trim and the instrument panel into a moving screen. When the car is in drive mode, meters, controls and maps appear on a pure white instrument panel. When parked, Teatro for Dayz transforms into an entirely new device. The entire interior, starting with the instrument panel, becomes a live display for a generation wired for connectivity.  

 

Interestingly, Teatro originates from the Italian word for theatre and by this they mean that the car can be used as a hub for various social experiences like gaming or even an impromptu outdoor festival. For those who get bored with car interiors, this car allows one to match the look to the season, the weather, or simply the vibe of the day. As technology evolves and share natives contribute ideas through feedback, the variety of ways the interior could serve as a digital native theater will expand.

 

 

Teatro for Dayz's plain exterior, too, serves as a canvas for ideas.  It's outfitted with LED screens that enable further self-expression. Any experience in or around the car can be shared instantly via an onboard camera There are more features packed in, such as voice control and motion sensors for the air conditioning and audio systems. Seats with bases that resemble balance balls feel radically different from the usual grip of a car seat, further signalling a departure from the conventional. Its exterior colour scheme of satin white silver between full gloss white provides more space for design creativity.

 

For everyone, regardless of age, the excitement of vehicles lies in the experience. Until now, Nissan has focused on vehicle experiences familiar to anyone born in the 20th century. With Teatro for Dayz, Nissan has designed a car just for share natives and has offered a compelling vision of the future.