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First released in 2014 the Nissan e-NV200 is Nissan’s answer to electric business needs. It is currently the largest electric van on the market. It offers big benefits to drivers who have regular routes, will be driving in urban areas, or companies looking to enhance their green image.
How far your e-NV200 can drive on a single charge will depend on which model you buy. If you pick up an older second-hand van you might have a 24kW battery installed. This translates into quite a poor range by modern standards with a realistic range of around 60 miles. One to avoid unless you have relatively short and predictable needs. With its limited range, you will be in a position to negotiate for a very good deal on a first-gen model.
Thankfully, in 2018 Nissan upgraded the e-NV200 with a 40kWh battery that enhanced the range to a generous 174 miles. Four miles more than the Renault Kangoo offers. This upgrade was as important for practicality as it was for adoption. Range anxiety is a concern many have had in the past with the electric revolution. The second generation of e-NV200 definitely puts those concerns at ease for many.
For peace of mind in your new EV, Nissan has covered the battery for eight years or 100,000 miles on not degrading more than 25% of its full charge capacity.
The real-world range will be a bit different depending on how you use your van day to day. Of course, carting heavy loads constantly will drain the battery far quicker than lighter loads. Nissan has claimed that it will do between 170 and 125 miles on a full charge depending on load and driving conditions.
Even if you are transporting heavy loads all day the e-NV200 should be fine for a full day's work. Especially if you are in an urban environment or have a very consistent schedule. Any range concerns will not be relevant for shorter journeys and most will last for a full business day if fully charged nightly.
For charging, we will stick to data on the 2018 upgraded model. There is only one battery size to choose from here so we will just break down the different methods of charging and the time each will take.
Charging Method | Charging Time | Range Per Hour Charged | |
3-pin plug | 18 hours | 7 miles per hour | |
3.6kW charger | 11 hours | 11 miles per hour | |
7kW charger | 6 hours | 19 miles per hour | |
22kW charger | 6 hours | 19 miles per hour |
As you’ll see from the table above this van supports a wide range of charging solutions, including fast charging through an onboard 6.6kW charger. Fast charging can take the battery all the way to 80% in just 30min. Perfect if you are looking to travel longer journeys seeing you will find this style of charger at motorway service stations.
The Nissan e-NV200 benefits from very low running costs. Nissan has said it is as little as 2 pence per mile. A serious saving against one of the diesel models.
As an electric car, it is also exempt from congestion and low emissions zone charges. This makes this electric van ideal for London or other large cities improving both air quality and your wallet.
There are far fewer components in an electric engine and battery than a conventional ICE alternative. This means that your new van will cost far less to service with less moving parts. There is no clutch to wear out and less wear on components of the brake too.
All together it should result in saving around 40% on servicing against the diesel model.Text here ...
Even though the e-NV200 isn’t designed to be a very high-performance car it still holds its own very well in urban environments. It only comes with one power option that features a simple speed automatic gearbox to control driving and parking modes and an 80kWh electric motor. As it has no gears to switch through the e-NV200 is responsive, fast and smooth to drive.
It takes 14 seconds to go from 0-60mph and has a top speed of 76mph. This is reduced to 60mph if the battery is running low to improve the remaining range.
Despite the laggy 0-60mph and low top speed, this van does benefit from powerful acceleration. Delivering its 187 lb ft of torque at once the e-NV200 is quick off the mark. This helps you stay agile making traffic lights and navigating traffic with ease.
If you are looking for a way to get a little extra out of your van or are running a little low on the range you’ll want to switch to the ECO mode. This reduces acceleration and increases the amount of energy harvested from regenerative braking while coasting and stopping at lights.
Once you take your electric Nissan van onto a motorway it can feel a little out of its depth. It will plod along just fine but it is far better suited to city driving and shorter commutes.
One thing you’ll appreciate is how silent this van is to drive. If you are upgrading from a diesel van it will be very hard to miss. You will hear a bit of road noise but only because there is nothing else to drown it out.
There are three styles of e-NV200 available. Options include models with a van body, five-seat combi, or as a five or seven-seat Evalia people carrier. For the purpose of this review, we will be staying focused on the van model.
The body of the Nissan e-NV200 is quite a bit taller than most other small vans of this size. This means it is uniquely suited to transporting taller items. You can access the storage on all sides with two sliding panel doors on each side that have an opening of 1171mm and a set of doors on the back that offer a load height of 524mm. This ensures you can load up or empty your van regardless of where you need to park it and have plenty of space to do it with.
The interior of the cabin has been laid out with a focus on simplicity and ease of use. The centre section of the dashboard has been designed in the same style as you’ll find in the Nissan Leaf. The display instruments are also taken from the Leaf.
The quality of the plastics could use an upgrade in the cabin as they are a little scratchy. Not quite what you’d hope for in what is otherwise quite a premium van. Storage in the cabin is another area where the e-NV200 stumbles. Most of it is open and a little on the small side. Not quite what you’d expect.
Sitting in the driver's seat you will have a good view of the road. The seat doesn’t offer height adjustment and the steering wheel doesn’t have any reach adjustment. There is good headroom for taller drivers though.
You may wonder since this van is electric do the batteries reduce the carrying capacity? The good news is that it is not. Nissan has designed this van to house the battery under the floor spread evenly. Having the battery here lowers the centre of gravity making the e-NV200 feel very planted on the road.
What size is the e-NV200 and how much can it carry?
This van is the largest in its class of small electric vans making it ideal for anyone looking to move large loads. The electric model measures 160mm longer than its diesel sibling thanks to its extended front end. The Nissan e-NV200 also benefits from an impressive 701kg max weight. Having said that, the diesel can hold an extra 50kg in the back. Although it is 65kg more than the Renault Kangoo making it still the best capacity in an electric van.
Max Load Length | Max Load Height | Max Load Width | Wheel Arch Gap |
2040mm | 1358mm | 1500mm | 1220mm |
If you are looking to transport longer items such as a ladder you’ll be pleased to learn that the passenger seat folds down and the length is increased to 2800mm. There is also an optional upgrade called the versatility pack which adds a folding mesh bulkhead.
There are three trim levels to choose from which includes the Visia, Acenta, and Tekna. As with any motor, features scale as you move up trim levels.
Although it is the base trim level the Visia is very well equipped by standard. The key features include:
Upgrading to the Acenta trim of the Nissan e NV200 brings many comfort-enhancing features as well as the ability to use rapid charging. These are what you can get in addition if you choose the Acenta:
The Tekna is the highest level of trim available for this electric van. This range-topping trim further enhances your driving experience with:
As well as a choice of trim levels there is also a choice for packs to further enhance your e NV200. One option is the glazing pack. This adds glass to the side and rear cargo doors. Then there is the heating pack. This upgrade turns the seats in the cabin into heated seats. The steering wheel is also heated as well as the door mirror. The heating pack also improves your EVs efficiency and extends its range in cold weather.
There is also an optional storage upgrade in the cabin. It adds a storage tray between the seats and an under-seat storage tray giving your more usable storage in your van. A much-needed upgrade seeing what the default includes in terms of cabin storage.
The new model of the e NV200 has not yet been tested by Euro NCAP. However, one of the older variants of the Evalia model has been. It did only score three out of five stars on the test. What let it down a little was the safety assist category where it scored a meagre 38%. It did perform reasonably well in the adult and child safety categories with 75 and 80% respectively.
Since moving towards electricity pedestrian safety has actually been improved. Although they might not hear you coming given how quiet this van is.
A few of the key safety features you can expect in the e NV200 includes hill start assist, a rearview camera with a beep while you reverse to avoid accidents when parking, driver airbags. Upgrading to the Acenta trim adds passenger and side airbags along with it.
So ready to pick up one of these practical and innovative electric vans? Let's see how much it will cost to pick up one of these vans new or used.
If you are looking for an e NV200 panel van brand new prices start at just over £23,000 new for the Visia trim which rises to just over £25,000 for the Acenta, and almost £27,000 if you want the range-topping Tekna model. These prices take the government EV grant into account.
If you’d prefer to pick up a used model instead you can find a good quality model for around £15,000.
