Nissan accepting electricity from EVs as payment for parking

TOKYO -

Nissan is letting customers pay for parking with electricity by discharging power from their electric car’s battery pack. In what the company claims to be a global first, owner of electric cars can trade energy for a parking space at Nissan Pavilion exhibition space in Yokohama, Japan.

The venue that showcases Nissan's future technologies, opened its doors to public on August 1 and will remain so through October 23. “(It) is a place where customers can see, feel, and be inspired by (the company's) near-future vision for society and mobility," says CEO Makoto Uchida. “As the world shifts to electric mobility, EVs will be integrated into society in ways that go beyond just transportation."

Apart from the innovate parking experience, people visiting the pavilion can also virtually experience the thrill of Formula E electric street racing or go for a ride in the all-new Ariya electric crossover. Other experiences include ProPILOT advanced driver assistance system as well as Nissan’s Invisible-to-Visible (I2V) technology, which combines information from the real and virtual worlds to assist drivers.

A mobility hub in front of the Pavilion offers a variety of services including EV car-sharing. The Pavilion also operates a cafe operated on power supplied by Nissan LEAF electric cars and solar energy.

As part of its Nissan NEXT transformation plan, the company plans to expand its global lineup of EVs and aims to sell more than 1 million electrified vehicles a year by the end of fiscal 2023.