http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/review/2397651/nissan-e-nv200-an-electric-van-with-all-the-power-you-need Nissan e-NV200: an electric van with all the power you need By Will Nichols | 10 Apr 2015
[images http://www.businessgreen.com/IMG/324/312324/e-nv200.jpg Nissan e-NV200 electric van http://www.businessgreen.com/IMG/323/312323/img-20150208-193705340.jpg (display) ] Japanese manufacturer looks well set to drive into commercial fleets with compact but powerful zero-emissions van Verdict: Strong showing for Nissan's first drive into the zero-carbon commercial vehicle market Price: £ 13,393 Rating: four (of five) star Pros: Low running costs; large load space; well tailored for city driving Cons: Bumpy ride at speed; range could prove a problem for longer delivery rounds REVIEW 2014 was a banner year for electric vehicles. Registrations quadrupled to almost 14,500 under the government's plug-in grant scheme and the industry is predicting further growth with almost 40 new models due to come onto the market over the next three years. But this growth is dominated by electric cars. More than 25,000 plug-in grants have been awarded since the scheme for cars started in January 2011, but only 1,117 buyers have taken up the grant of up to £8,000 off the purchase price of a new van since the dedicated van scheme was introduced 13 months later. The relatively slow progress of the electric van market is particularly strange when you consider operators of commercial van fleets tend to be highly cost-conscious and have a good understanding of the range their vehicles need, meaning electric vans often offer a good fit for business customers. The Nissan e-NV200, officially launched last June, is hoping to provide the breakthrough the nascent electric van sector has been waiting for. The largest of the nine vans currently available under the scheme, it certainly has all the tools needed to help drive the electric van market out of the doldrums. Nissan accounted for 5.4 per cent of the market last year, but it has big plans to use the e-NV200's promise of low-cost, cleaner transport to win sales among business and public sector fleet operators, such as local authorities and the NHS. So can it deliver? Well, starting at £13,393 with the battery leasing option or £16,562 for full ownership, you get a lot of van for your money. Capable of carrying a maximum payload of 760kg, the e-NV200 promises "best-in-class" cargo capacity, stretching over two metres from front to rear, 1.5 metres side to side and 1.22 metres between wheel arches, which leaves room for two standard Euro pallets with space to spare. Manoeuvrability is also good, with hill-start assist and a rear-view camera coming as standard, while the visibility from the raised cab is an advantage. Some interior features brought over from the Nissan LEAF also enliven the drive, including ones showing your energy consumption and highlighting nearby charge points. However, some of the traffic alerts seem a little alarming – an air raid on the A20? Of course, the running costs will be the big selling point for many businesses – Nissan says it could cost as little as two pence per mile to run the van, while it is also free from vehicle excise duty and the congestion charge in London. In addition, fleet customers should be impressed by the range. At 106 miles from an eight-hour standard charge, there is more than enough in the tank to cover most city driving. However, using energy-thirsty options such as the heating will knock up to 20 miles off this range, making cross-country journeys trickier. In contrast, the e-NV200's ECO mode extends battery life by adjusting acceleration and climate controls to minimise energy consumption. And a separate B mode can be used to increase the strength of the regenerative braking system, effectively replicating the engine brake on a diesel or petrol van, whether you are in ECO mode or not. ECO mode also brings down the top speed from 76mph to 60mph, which does not make much difference on most city roads, but can be felt far more on the motorway. There are a few other downsides. Despite the light steering and torque you associate with electric drives, at higher speeds the van can feel as if it is struggling. It is quite a shaky, bouncy drive unless there is something in the back to weigh down the vehicle. In the COMBI five-seater version, that ballast could be provided by the rest of the family, albeit for a starting price of £17,855 – just under £1,500 more than the cheapest Nissan LEAF. Cities from London to Barcelona and New York are now planning to put the COMBI to use as a zero-emission taxi. However, the van version looks more targeted at a specific audience's needs and with more companies looking to cut costs and provide greener transport options, it could well prove the platform Nissan is looking for to build its fleet business. The e-NV200 presents a compelling green and cost-efficient alternative for any business that operates vans that stick to predictable routes of under 100 miles a day. It could well provide the spark the electric commercial vehicle market requires. [© businessgreen.com] ... http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/template/NamlServlet.jtp?macro=search_page&node=413529&query=subject%3Aevln+subject%3A%28e-NV200+OR+eNV200%29+NOT+subject%3Are&days=0&sort=date Read more e-NV200 EVLN items on evdl For EVLN posts use: http://evdl.org/evln/ http://www.energytrendsinsider.com/2015/04/13/nissan-leaf-drive-train-is-25-times-more-reliable-than-conventional-cars/ Nissan Leaf Drive Train is 25 Times More Reliable than Conventional Cars http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/business/pnm-nissan-partner-to-offer-electric-vehicle-drivers-free-access/article_0636dc00-2d47-5b1d-a5b5-f2f9b11e378f.html PNM, Nissan partner to offer electric vehicle drivers free access to fast-charge station (v) http://www.bmwblog.com/2015/04/08/choosing-the-right-home-charging-solution-for-your-electric-car/ Choosing the right home charging solution for your electric car http://patch.com/massachusetts/framingham/baker-administration-announces-additional-funding-electric-vehicle-rebate-program Additional MA Funding with MOR-EV.org EV Rebate http://www.recordgazette.net/news/local/article_59a0448e-d950-11e4-966c-27e5b15f03e2.html Instead of drive-thru, park&charge @S.CA MickyD's http://www.powersportsbusiness.com/top-stories/2015/04/03/ctek-to-offer-wireless-vehicle-battery-charging/ ctek.com offers high performance, efficient wireless EV charging + EVLN: 2016 Mitsubishi i-MiEV EV Review – Video Test Drive {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-Nissan-e-NV200-e-van-with-all-the-power-you-need-tp4674975.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
