Blog of RENAULT NISSAN Alliance

Electric delivery vehicles are perfect for busy inner cities where the lack of tailpipe emissions and their near silent running make life far more pleasant for those who live or work there.

Equally significantly, there’s ample opportunity to recharge batteries with growing networks of regular and quick chargers available on the streets.

But EVs could have an even bigger role to play in rural areas. Nissan is about to start field tests to see whether EVs – charged overnight at home – might, in fact, provide a lifeline for residents in areas where regular fuel stations are closing down due to falling demand from an ageing and shrinking population.

The tests are being carried out in conjunction with the Tochigi prefectural government in Japan. A prototype zero emission e-NV200 will be used to collect produce from around 20 farmers to be sold at roadside markets: usually each farmers delivers the produce personally, so as well as being kinder to the environment, the e-NV200 will also cut the total number of vehicle journeys.

Tochigi prefecture has been chosen for the test as the use of recyclable energy from sources such as hydroelectric, solar and biomass – all highly relevant to agricultural communities – is actively encouraged by a government keen to promote a ‘local production, local consumption’ approach to electric power.

Another reason why EVs can aid rural environments comes with their potential use as a power source if there is an outage. Energy stored in the vehicle’s batteries can be harnessed to power heating or farming machinery in the event of grid failure. Further field tests investigating this aspect will be carried out later in the year.

Real-world testing of e-NV200 prototypes has already seen vehicles being trialed by fleet operators such as AEON Retail Co. and FedEx Express in Japan and British Gas in the UK.

Nissan is also looking at the potential of all-electric NV200 taxis in major cities such as London and New York. A number of Nissan LEAF taxis are about to be tested in New York, ahead of the introduction of petrol-powered NV200s as NYC’s famous Yellow Cab.

In London, following the launch of a diesel-powered NV200 Taxi built to conform with the city’s strict Hackney Cab regulations, an e-NV200 Taxi is set to undergo trials on the capital’s streets.

• See the press release