2021 Nissan NV350 Office Pod Concept Makes Working From Home a Dream

Not if Nissan has a say in it. Ahead of the 2021 Tokyo Auto Salon, which kicks-off today, January 15, in virtual form, Nissan has unveiled a concept van that would make – at least in theory – working from home less of a drag. Because, if we’re being honest, we’re all relatively sick of being around our family and having to look out the window at the same view over and over again.

Enter the Office Pod. It’s the latest concept from Nissan based on the Nissan NV350 Caravan, but with considerable upgrades that make it suitable for today’s work demands. Or, better said, today’s work from home demands.

Starting from the idea that we could all use a change of scenery, Nissan suggests moving the home office into the great outdoors or, where not possible, anywhere else in the city. The idea is that the Office Pod is a mobile office solution that can be used both inside the van or outside of it, more or less in Mother Nature.

Inside the van is an office, a fancy chair (the Herman Miller Cosm Chair, which is being marketed as “Sit in Cosm and you just might forget you’re sitting in a chair at all,” so it’s a premium product meant to make working at the office less taxing on your body), and a coffee maker. No office is ever complete without a fine selection of coffee beverages.

You can drive the van wherever you want and get to work right away. If you’re out in the open, meaning out of the city, you can slide the entire office outside of the van, using a dedicated app on your smartphone. Technically, you’re not outside, but the floor does extend outwards from the rear door, so you can still feel the fresh air or even lean for a better view. The polycarbonate floor also helps with making you feel as if you’re really in nature – without actually having to rough it up.

Perhaps the best part of the Office Pod has nothing to do with working at all. There’s an actual rooftop deck, accessible via an interior staircase, just perfect for working on your tan or relaxing during breaks. The video presentation (also available at the bottom of the page) shows a large lounge chair, a small piece of furniture for a cold beverage or book, and a giant sun shade. No word on where these go when they’re not in use, but the general assumption is that they would be stored inside.

Other features of the Office Pod include a glove box with UV antibacterial lamp, presumably to kill off germs from your phone or tablet, a DC/AC inverter for the coffee-maker, and backlight carpeted floor mats - because they look cool. Electric shades allow you to completely close off your working space from the outside world when you’re inside or, respectively, enjoy the scenery while at the office.

The one thing the Office Pod doesn’t have is a restroom of any type, which means it would only be usable at camping sites or in complete wilderness, assuming you’re not to shy too go in the bushes.

The Office Pod is just a concept, and Nissan has mentioned no concrete plans for building it. For some, the idea may seem too much, if only for the association between business/office campers and extended work hours. But reactions online to the concept have been positive so far, because, as you must know already, we could all use a break. Even while still working.