Nissan didn’t hold back with its dire warnings of urban congestion, escalating fuel prices and environmental damage from greenhouse gases, but went on to reveal  that a savior of personal mobility is on its way in the form of Nuvu, an  electric vehicle concept.

The concept is aimed at “urban dwellers who don’t want to compromise on their personal freedom or their comfort, yet who appreciate something has to give,” according to Nissan’s executive vice president Carlos Tavares.

Nuvu, short for ‘New View’, is described by Nissan as an ‘urban oasis’ and comes with its own ‘tree’ inside the car complete with petals across the glass roof. While this seems somewhat frivolous, there is a serious side to this concept. Beneath the body constructed from organic and recycled material lies technology destined for Nissan’s next generation of EVs due to go on sale in the U.S. and Japan in 2010.

The details of the drivetrain technology are secret, according to a Nissan spokesman, but he could reveal Nuvu has a 120 km (75 miles) range and a maximum speed of 120 km/h (75 mph) with zero emissions. Even the tree has a purpose; the ‘leaves’ generate solar energy which provides the equivalent of one full charge of the battery each month.

Apart from the distinctly unusual practice of having a tree growing in the back of your car, Nuvu features a unique seating plan of two plus one in its compact body. The usual formation is two seats, one slightly staggered behind the other, but a third seat can be folded down from the front.

Nissan also unveiled its Pixo, an entry-level compact four-door family sedan built for Nissan by Suzuki in India. The Pixo is powered by a 1.0 liter three-cylinder gasoline engine delivering 65 horsepower and 61.4 mpg but is not planned for sale in the U.S.