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UK Van Operators Electrified by Nissan’s e-NV200

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Operating a van is a serious business with little room for sentiment. Vans must deliver on price, reliability, economy and load-carrying capability. That is what makes the Nissan e-NV200 so interesting. In case you didn’t know it, the Nissan e-NV200 Tekna Rapid Plus is an all-electric vehicle. If van operators are seriously looking at an electric LCV, then it surely means that the technology of electric vehicles has come of age, at least on some level.

NIssan NV200

A Prototype E-NV200 blinged up at the IAA in Hanover 2014

At the UK launch of the Nissan e-NV200, more than 150 UK operators put in a request for an early demo model, which goes to show just how seriously the new van is being taken by the industry. This demand came on the back of an extensive pilot programme at British Gas, who tested 28 pre-production models of the van. Clearly, that evaluation programme was a success because British Gas then went on to order 100 Nissan e-NV200 Tekna Rapid Plus vans in a ringing endorsement of the technology. British Gas is renowned as a company with high standards and one that demands the same of its van fleet, so such a success was quite a feather in the cap for Nissan.

This success, however, also landed Nissan with a problem. The British Gas engineers wanted to keep their vans for even longer, and Nissan at this time only had 30 demonstrators available, so they were unable to please everyone. Thankfully, production soon ramped up and more vans were delivered. Not that the problem disappeared entirely, however. The Nissan e-NV200 is manufactured at just a single factory, so supply in the UK has continued to be tight. Nissan has aimed the vehicle at fleets with more than 75 units, so these are bound to have been prioritised and such customers have accounted for the majority of early sales.

e-NV200 taxi

e-NV200 in taxi guise on show

The Nissan e-NV200 is certainly a ground-breaking van. Coming in at a shade over £13,000 new, and with estimated running costs at just 2p per mile, it represents a huge saving over the 7p per mile quoted for the diesel version. When you take into consideration the lower servicing costs and exemption from road tax, the savings mount up quickly to £5,500 across a typical four-year ownership cycle for the average van operator. That is for vans outside of London, but when the congestion charge is taken into consideration, those savings could jump by another £10,600 over the same period for vans in the capital. Remember too that the mayor, Boris Johnson, is keen on introducing a special tax for diesel vehicles in the city.

The Nissan e-NV200 takes its power plant from the Nissan Leaf. It is heavier than the diesel version by some 220kg, but the powerful motor makes it quicker to 60mph. It also has a lower centre of gravity, so handling is excellent too. There are twin sliding doors to give good side access, and the load height is the lowest in the sector. Add a payload that is 20kg greater than the diesel version and a lavish specification, and the Nissan e-NV200 is a sure winner.

e-nv200 top of the range

Nissan e-nv200 for top business people

The post UK Van Operators Electrified by Nissan’s e-NV200 appeared first on Van Locator.


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