Photo: Nissan
Vans don’t get too much love from the automotive media, but the truth of the matter is, the van is Europe’s workhorse. In the U.S., however, the pickup truck is king since times immemorial.
For whatever reason, the Old Continent never got to appreciate the pickup as much as America. And for what it’s worth, the van might have something to do with that. As the industry pushes the EV envelope further and further with every passing year, it’s no wonder light commercial vehicles have also come to rock down to Electric Avenue.
Pickup trucks have yet to make the big step, though. Ford laid out the groundwork by announcing the F-150 Hybrid for 2020, but vans already come in all-electric form. The Renault Kangoo Z.E. is a case in point, but the real star is the Nissan e-NV200.
Priced from £17,256 in the United Kingdom, the e-NV200 has been around for a few years now. And in this time, the Nissan-badged and Nissan-engineered workhorse became the best-selling electric van in Europe. More to the point, 4,319 units were sold in 2016, claiming 82 percent market share. And unsurprisingly, the UK is the largest market for the e-NV200.
“Aside from its obvious environmental advantages, e-NV200 owners also benefit from its low running costs, starting from as little as two pence per mile, a smooth and near-silent ride and 40 percent lower servicing costs when compared with an equivalent diesel vehicle,” explained Gareth Dunsmore, director of electric vehicles at Nissan Europe. And he’s right, you know.
Not only does the e-NV200 help business owners reduce their carbon footprint, but an electric van is significantly cheaper to run than the ICE-type variety. Ownership also happens to be a trouble-free experience, chiefly because there are less moving parts in an electric vehicle than in one equipped with an internal combustion engine. A five-year warranty is on the menu as well, for added peace of mind.
On the downside, the 106-mile range isn’t exactly wow. London to Birmingham is an 118-mile drive on the M1, so that’s that. But as long as battery technology keeps evolving and automakers pour more money and brainpower into developing EVs, things will get better in the long run for electric vans. At some point in time, light-duty pickup trucks will probably go the same way as their European counterparts.
Pickup trucks have yet to make the big step, though. Ford laid out the groundwork by announcing the F-150 Hybrid for 2020, but vans already come in all-electric form. The Renault Kangoo Z.E. is a case in point, but the real star is the Nissan e-NV200.
Priced from £17,256 in the United Kingdom, the e-NV200 has been around for a few years now. And in this time, the Nissan-badged and Nissan-engineered workhorse became the best-selling electric van in Europe. More to the point, 4,319 units were sold in 2016, claiming 82 percent market share. And unsurprisingly, the UK is the largest market for the e-NV200.
“Aside from its obvious environmental advantages, e-NV200 owners also benefit from its low running costs, starting from as little as two pence per mile, a smooth and near-silent ride and 40 percent lower servicing costs when compared with an equivalent diesel vehicle,” explained Gareth Dunsmore, director of electric vehicles at Nissan Europe. And he’s right, you know.
Not only does the e-NV200 help business owners reduce their carbon footprint, but an electric van is significantly cheaper to run than the ICE-type variety. Ownership also happens to be a trouble-free experience, chiefly because there are less moving parts in an electric vehicle than in one equipped with an internal combustion engine. A five-year warranty is on the menu as well, for added peace of mind.
On the downside, the 106-mile range isn’t exactly wow. London to Birmingham is an 118-mile drive on the M1, so that’s that. But as long as battery technology keeps evolving and automakers pour more money and brainpower into developing EVs, things will get better in the long run for electric vans. At some point in time, light-duty pickup trucks will probably go the same way as their European counterparts.
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