Electrical Contracting News (ECN) June 2017 | Page 42

SPECIAL
FEATURE
COMMERCIAL VEHICLES & EV INFRASTRUCTURE
LIVING THE EV LIFE
Russell Drury gets his first taste of electrical motoring with the Nissan e-NV200.
W
e have covered
electrical
vehicle (EV)
infrastructure
quite extensively
in ECN during
the last couple
of years, so I
thought it was about time I actually got
behind the wheel of a car or van that
didn’t have a fuel tank. Often the target
of jokes and mockery on a once popular
BBC motoring show, electric vehicles offer
many benefits, such as low running costs
and zero emissions. But can they provide a
reliable alternative method of transport for
tradespeople of today?
42 | June 2017
The Nissan e-NV200 combines the
electric drivetrain from the Nissan Leaf
with the practicality of the Nissan NV200
van. The result is a zero emission vehicle
capable of making a significant contribution
not only to future mobility but also to the
business model of any company using
small vans. For as well as being an exciting
vehicle to drive, e-NV200 will be cost
effective to run and, just as importantly, its
sustainability will reflect positively on any
operator’s business decision.
Having never driven an electric vehicle
before, I was somewhat apprehensive.
However, what I discovered immediately
was how light and easy it felt to drive (this
was even more noticeable once I climbed
The Nissan e-NV200
combines the
electric drivetrain
from the Nissan
Leaf with the
practicality of the
Nissan NV200 van.