The Royal Navy is no stranger to cutting-edge technology. So perhaps it’s not a surprise that Portsmouth Naval Base is now home to a fleet of 48 Nissan e-NV200 electric vans.

The vans — the top-selling electric van in Europe — have been deployed on the site by BAE Systems, who manage the base for the Royal Navy.

A total of 26 charging points and 28 designated parking bays have been installed, in order to ensure that the electric vans don’t go short of power or parking. The new electric vans are expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by around 40% compared to the previous fleet.

Ian Anderton, integrated delivery director at BAE Systems, said:

“We have worked closely with Lex Autolease and Nissan to introduce this new fleet that makes a significant reduction to carbon dioxide emissions and respects our customers need for a value for money solution.

“The reduced emissions and fuel use by replacing nearly half of the fleet with Nissan electric vehicles would have a significant environmental impact on Portsmouth Naval Base.”

In total, the conversion of more than a third of BAE Systems’ vehicle fleet to Nissan’s e-NV200 Combis will save £360,000 in fuel and other costs over the duration of the contract.