ON TEST: NISSAN e-NV200
e-NV200 is an urban crowd pleaser to beat diesel power Revised e-NV200 still has plenty to offer and is a quiet, refined place that could put you off diesel for life, says Andrew Walker The Nissan e-NV200 is the longest standing of the current crop of electric vans, having been launched back in 2013. It was updated in 2018 using the running gear from the Nissan Leaf and adding a 40kWh battery, which increased range by over 50% to 124 miles on the combined cycle. That’s a distance that many new electric vans may struggle to beat. Offered in Visia, Acenta and Tekna trim, in theory there’s an e-NV200 for all buyers. Basic Visia includes Bluetooth, electric windows, a USB connection and steel wheels. Accenta adds rapid charging as standard, a reversing camera, automatic air-conditioning, battery 32 | July 2020 | Company Car & Van
heating/cooling to help the van maintain its charge and cruise control with speed limiter. We were testing an e-NV200 in Tekna + trim, which comes with SatNav, 15” alloys, automatic lights and wipers, plus our test van was fitted with the £252 Cold Pack, which adds heated front seats a heated steering wheel and heated door mirrors. It comes supplied with two charging cables, a three-pin 10-amp cable and a seven-pin 32-amp cable. Using the seven-pin cable and a Rolec wall charger takes you from zero charge to full in about seven hours. The Acenta and Tekna versions come with a CHAdeMO socket that allows rapid charging from public charge points. This can add 80% charge to the battery in as little as 40 minutes, conditions permitting. There’s only two front seats, and only the driver’s seat can be moved back and forth as well as reclined, but it is a comfortable cabin, nonetheless. If you need more cabin space the passenger seat can be folded down to create a tray table. There’s also a full steel bulkhead, two sliding doors, near side and off side and
unglazed French rear doors. The cabin itself is rather bland, finished in grey and blacks, and the quality is decidedly average, but it all works well and all of the switchgear is easy to use. For storage, you get a small glove box, two slim door pockets, a large flat area between the seats, twin dash mounted cup holders, a small dash top area and a lift up and over central box. The Tekna is fitted with a really nice infotainment touchscreen, so accessing the DAB radio, SatNav, Bluetooth telephone and CD player is easy, but there’s no connected Apps for Apple Car Play or Android Auto. Safety featured includes ABS with EBD, an alarm, electronic traction control, curtain, driver, passenger AND side airbags, remote central locking and a tyre pressure monitor. Press the starter button, engage D and you are ready to move off in total silence. It’s nippy, reaching 62mph in just 8.7 seconds but top speed is only 77 mph. It is easy to drive and simple to manoveure, but it’s hardly thrilling. It makes sense to utilise the Eco button, which www.companycarandvan.co.uk
