What, exactly, is a Townpod? We'll have to wait another three weeks to find out for sure, but from this teaser and the sparse contents of the press release, it looks like Nissan's take on an all-electric city vehicle. The unveiling will come at the end of the month at the 2010 Paris Auto Show.

We'll no doubt be subjected to a series of drip-fed teasers as the show draws nearer, though from the headlight alone, much about the car's design can be inferred. For example, the intricate design work hints that this is not a production-intent vehicle, though the large shape and projector headlight within say it could be turned into one without too much effort.

Nissan says the Townpod will offer "insight into how Nissan could expand its portfolio of zero-emission vehicles." In addition to the forward-looking design, Nissan says the car will have a "spacious and practical interior."

The real question posed by the press release, however, is what form factor the car will take. "It is more than just a car and it's more than just a van," the release states. If it's part car, part van, it may well be what the Europeans call an MPV, or what Americans would be tempted to call a microvan. The compact five-seater-with-cargo-space format stands taller than a hatchback, is smaller than a crossover, and somehow evades the wagon label all at the same time.

Packaged as an MPV with legitimate EV credentials, the Nissan Townpod may be a car to keep an eye on. Fortunately High Gear Media will be at the 2010 Paris Auto Show to bring you the latest as it happens.

[Nissan]