Tag Archives: Nissan

Nissan eNV200 Will Make UK Debut at CV Show 2013

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Nissan eNV200 electric van

Nissan eNV200 electric van

Nissan’s eagerly-awaited eNV200 electric van will make its UK debut at the CV Show in Birmingham on the 9th – 11th April 2013.

The eNV200 has already generated strong positive feedback from fleet operators who have carried out long-term trials of the vehicle and tried it at a recent test event and were impressed with its zero CO2 emissions at the point of use, driving comfort and generous carrying capacity and payload.

Nissan will round out its display of new vehicles with the UK debut for the NV200 taxi, Nissan’s proposed replacement for the London black cab. The NV200 taxi is based on the company’s multi-purpose NV200 compact van and redesigned to fully comply with the host of TfL Taxi Conditions of Fitness.

As well as seating to comfortably accommodate five passengers, the NV200 Taxi has also been modified to accommodate a wheel chair passenger and achieve a 25ft (7.6m) turning-circle – a legal requirement for all Hackney Carriages.

Finally, Nissan will display the latest version of its Navara double cab pick-up. The Navara Visia is an entry-level model that’s designed to provide a practical solution at an affordable cost (funny how several manufacturers are rolling out such models in the wake of the Great Wall Steed pick-up launch!).

The Nissan stand is in Hall 3a (stand number 3A80) and will also feature a Cabstar, NV200, NV200 Fridge, NV400 panel van and a Red Bull Formula 1 car.

48% of Van Drivers Could Use an Electric Van

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Nissan e-NV200 electric van

Nissan eNV200 electric van

According to a new survey, 48% of van drivers do less than 100 miles per day, suggesting that they could use an electric van without compromising practicality or scheduling.

Nissan is making a big push into the UK van market, and one of its main differentiators is a market-ready production electric van, the eNV200, which has been extensively trialled, received great feedback, and is due to go on sale in the not-too-distant future.

To help promote the case for electric vans, which I think has already been well proven, Nissan performed this survey* to gather information about van drivers’ habits, quirks and working practices.

One key finding was that 48% of those questioned drive less than 100 miles a day, which according to Nissan means that they could switch their van to an eNV200 electric van without encountering risking flat batteries mid-delivery or having to change their delivery routes.

Just 26% drive more than 200 miles a day, highlighting the fact that the majority of vans are used for local work, where electric vehicles could be very successful — assuming you have somewhere to plug them in and charge them at the end of the day. Many small businesses don’t.

Clean-living music

Not surprisingly, 63% of drivers said they couldn’t live without their radio in their vehicle and when they tune in, 23% choose Radio 2. Surprisingly more van drivers listen to Classic FM than Radio 5 Live and 7% list Talk Sport as their favourite station.

Commenting on the survey results, Jon Pollock, Nissan’s corporate sales director said:

“Van drivers have been given some unfair press in the past which is why we wanted to build up a real picture of what they do, how they think and the features they value on their van. Our research says they are health conscious, hardworking and loyal individuals.”

 

Nissan’s research also found that cleanliness is next to godliness, in driving terms at least — 92% of drivers said they feel better when driving a clean vehicle, and three out of four (72%) believe it actually makes them a better driver.

Ageing healthy eaters!

Finally no mention of white van man would be complete without a visit to the burger van — or should that be the kitchen? Nissan found that just 15% of van drivers claim to prefer a burger or take away when on the road, while a whopping 32% take a packed lunch, and 8% like a bit of fruit whilst on the road.

However, the survey found that 39% of those questioned were over 45, suggesting that companies aren’t recruiting many young drivers — something which could cause a driver shortage further down the line.

*250 van drivers were questioned.

Nissan e-NV200 Gets Rave Reviews At Test Event

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Nissan e-NV200 electric van

Nissan e-NV200 electric van

Fleet van operators are jostling to place orders for the Nissan e-NV200 electric van, according to Nissan, who recently ran a two-day demonstration event to promote the van, which is due to go on sale in 2014.

Nissan has received extremely positive feedback from the fleet industry on its new e-NV200 electric van when it was showcased in late 2012.

Five leasing companies, six major fleet operators and three used value guides visited Nissan’s Barcelona production facility and drove the new e-NV200, a diesel NV200 and the LEAF.

The group met the e-NV200 development team and were able to give their thoughts on all aspects of the vehicle, including how they envisage it fitting into a fleet strategy.  Nissan also shared its overall EV vision including product creation, development and future EV plans.

All delegates reacted positively to the 100% electric van’s driving and performance characteristics with many keen to put the vehicle into immediate use.

Personally, I’ve long thought that electric vans make far more sense than electric cars — with vans, you know exactly how far and over what route they will travel each day and you can plan to have them recharged in an off-road base each night.

Nissan’s findings certainly seem to suggest that this might be true:

“We were blown away with the response and we already have leasing companies and fleet operators who want to trial the vehicle, and some who want to order a fleet of vehicles for urban delivery use,” explained Matthew Dale, Nissan’s national LCV sales manager.

“After driving the vehicle on the two day trip they could immediately see the business benefit of running electric vans across specific parts of a fleet. Commercial vehicles are working tools and our guests recognised both the savings in fuel costs and reduced emissions offered by the e-NV200,” he added.

From a residual value perspective the used guides could see a definite role to play for the e-NV200 and that used prices should be strong based on the vehicle’s practicality and whole life costs, which will give it a second and third life in the used market.

“Residual values are key to the success of any commercial vehicle so we were pleased to hear some very positive initial comments from the used vehicle experts,” said Dale.

The Barcelona trip follows successful trials with major fleets such as British Gas, FedEx and the Japan Post Service in 2011 and 2012 as Nissan prepares the e-NV200 for mainstream production. The e-NV200 is expected to go on sale in 2014.

British Gas Adds 138 Nissan Primastars To Fleet

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Nissan Primastar in British Gas livery

One of British Gas’ new Nissan Primastar vans, which will be used by the company’s service engineers.

British Gas has taken delivery of 138 Nissan Primastar vans for its home and business fleets, in a vote of confidence for Nissan as a fleet van supplier 

Nissan has delivered 138 short and long-wheelbase Primastar medium vans to bolster the energy provider’s service fleet.  The British Gas home services division has taken delivery of 80 Primastars and the remaining 58 for its business services division.

All of the vans are in British Gas cyan blue and thanks to the support of Sunderland-based Nissan’s  Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) the vans were able to be equipped with internal racking to house the engineer’s tools and parts, a telematics system and an impactful livery .

Over five years of service each Primastar will cover up to 90,000 miles en route to delivering maintenance services to businesses and residential homes across the country. The deal comes after British Gas successfully trialled the Nissan e-NV200 last year as part of its ambition to switch 10% of its 14,000 LCV fleet to electric over the next three years.

British Gas general fleet manager Colin Marriott said:

“We’re delighted with the new Primastars and the conversion work to fit racking, telematics and striking liveries.  Throughout this deal the professional support from Nissan has been excellent and they are now proving to be a serious LCV fleet manufacturer.  The e-NV200 trial was a success and we’re happy to continue to build our relationship with Nissan with these new Primastars.”

Jon Pollock, Nissan’s corporate sales director said:

“This is a prestigious order that underlines our commitment to LCV growth .  The Primastar is an ideal van for British Gas and the engineers will enjoy the good levels of driver comfort and ample load space to carry all of their tools and equipment.  With SVO’s support on the conversion we were able to ensure that British Gas has taken delivery of some excellent bespoke vehicles without impacting the vehicle warranty.”

Nissan has never been a big player in the UK van fleet or van hire sector — but deals like this could help change operators’ perception of the brand, especially if it is able to deliver large number of pre-converted vans to fleet customers.

Nissan Vans Keep Thieves At Bay

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Nissan Primastar van

The Nissan Primastar won the heavy van security category, beating the Renault Trafic and Vauxhall Vivaro.

Nissan has won the Best Van Manufacturer award at the British Insurance Vehicle Security Awards.

Nissan won two awards for its van range at the recent British Insurance Vehicle Security Awards (BIVSA) 2012.

The highlight was the van manufacturer award which saw Nissan’s extensive six vehicle range (NV200, Primastar, NV400, Cabstar, Navara and Pathfinder Van) beat stiff competition from the rest of the light commercial industry.

The award recognises the work Nissan has done across its van range to protect vehicles from being stolen or being broken into which ultimately helps insurers reduce premiums for operators.

In addition the Nissan Primastar, which has an alarm fitted as standard, won the heavy van category for the second year running beating the Renault Trafic, Ford Transit and Vauxhall Vivaro.

This is all the more impressive considering that the Primastar is a rebadged version of the Trafic/Vivaro — obviously Nissan’s contribution to the Primastar adds real value in terms of security.

“Insurance is a major outlay for all van operators and Nissan has spent years improving all aspects of its van security across its extensive vehicle range,” said Andy Connell. Category Manager for LCVs at Nissan Motor (GB) Limited.

Thatcham Chief Executive Peter Shaw said:

“Congratulations to Nissan. For many commercial vehicle owners any potential threat to their vehicle is not only an inconvenience, but can also represent a genuine threat to their livelihood. Strong vehicle security is imperative and in winning the Best Van Manufacturer award, Nissan has demonstrated a real focus in this area across its commercial vehicle range.”

Nissans are not the most widely chosen vans in the van hire industry, but these awards show that the company’s contribution to its NV400 and Primastar vans does make a real difference.

Nissan Confirms Pricing For NV400 Factory Conversions

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Nissan NV400 dropside tipper

Nissan NV400 dropside tipper from the company's range of factory conversions

Nissan launched its NV400 conversion range at the recent Birmingham CV Show. It has now confirmed pricing and specification details for this range, all of which are now available to order at UK Nissan dealers.

The NV400 chassis cab starts life as a mid or long wheelbase variant with either front or rear wheel drive, single and twin rear wheel and is available in a total of 13 versions. Powered by either the 125hp and 150hp version of the economical and powerful 2.5dCi diesel, the NV400 chassis cab is now available with the new range of factory built conversions.

The factory built NV400 minibus can accommodate nine people in comfort or combine six people and a generous load space. Two engine power options of 100hp and 125hp are available with three point seat belts and anti-lock brakes. The NV400 minibus starts at just £26,575.

With large windows and comfortable seats, the Nissan NV400 crew van seats up to seven people while still providing plenty of space in the cargo area. Choose from a wide choice of cargo and payload specs up to 1,398kg plus front or rear wheel drive for a van that perfectly matches a range of business requirements, all for just £25,565.

The Nissan NV400 dropside has a double skinned but light metal body and an integral front ladder rack. Available with a choice of either a single three seat or a double seven seat cab, front or rear wheel drive and a range of payloads up to 1,462kg, it makes a perfect workman’s vehicle. The NV400 dropside starts from £23,365 for a single cab and £25,765 for a double cab.

Hard-working yet comfortable, the Nissan NV400 tipper is available as a three seat single cab for £24,765 or a roomy seven seat double cab for £27,165 and offers a choice of mid or long wheelbase and a range of payloads up to 1,227kg. The load deck tilts automatically at 45°for quick, easy unloading.

In addition the Nissan NV400 will be enhanced with a range of Good to Go local conversions, including a box van, Luton and refrigerated van, plus a 14-17 seat minibus option that will be built by handpicked UK converters and sold by Nissan business centres to operators as a complete vehicle.

Nissan’s factory built and Good to Go approach guarantees that operators receive a quality and fully approved conversion complete with a manufacturer warranty.

Van News In Brief: Isuzu, Red Bull F1 & Nissan

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Nissan To Supply Red Bull Vans

Nissan vans and Red Bull F1Nissan’s contract to supply the Red Bull Formula One team with light commercial vehicles has been extended for the remainder of the 2012 season.

To support the transportation needs of Red Bull Racing at their factory in Milton Keynes and for all operations throughout the 2012 Formula One season, Nissan will supply a fleet of over 30 vehicles, including the award-winning Nissan NV200 and the Nissan NV400 large van.

The choice is unsurprising, as Nissan’s premium brand Infiniti (equivalent to Toyota’s Lexus brand) is one of the team’s main sponsors. Indeed, I believe that Red Bull’s Renault engines are branded as Infiniti, as a result of the long-standing high-level partnership between Nissan and Renault.

Red Bull will use Nissan’s  NV200 and NV400 vans to support the team. The NV200 is Nissan’s own design, but the NV400 is of course a rebadged Renault Master – see here (NV400) and here (Master).

For more information visit www.redbullracing.com or www.nissan.co.uk.

New Isuzu Dealer In Preston

New Isuzu D-Max Pick-Up driving through waterIsuzu UK has added a new dealer to its network, Browns, in Preston, Lancashire. Browns is a family-run business with a strong presence in the local agricultural market, so it expects Isuzu’s new D-Max pick-up to be well received.

Browns Dealer Principal, Roy Brown, commented:

“With a strong local history in agriculture, we are experienced in tailoring our services to meet the needs of individual customers and commercial buyers alike, I believe the Isuzu brand will prove to be a very appealing prospect.  The all-new Isuzu D-Max, with its outstanding load-lugging capacity and all-terrain capabilities, means we’ll have the perfect vehicle to meet the needs of outdoor workers in this area,” he added.

William Brown, General Manager of Isuzu UK, said:

“Browns joins the Isuzu network at a very exciting time for our brand.  Isuzu has doubled its UK pick-up sales in the last three years and has reinforced its reputation as a supplier of dependable, rugged and highly capable pick-ups.  We have just launched the all-new Isuzu D-Max, further raising the bar for refinement, performance and efficiency in the sector, backed by Isuzu’s unique-in-class five year, 120,000 mile warranty.  Browns is ideally placed to capitalise on this new product launch in this important location for Isuzu.”

The all-new Isuzu D-Max is available in three body styles – single, extended and double cab – with prices starting from £14,499 (CVOTR) for the entry-level single cab 4×2, rising to £21,499 (CVOTR) for the top-of-the-range Utah double cab 4×4 Automatic.  All new Isuzu pick-ups are available with the company’s recently-launched, class-leading, five-year, 120,000 mile warranty.  The Isuzu D-Max is fitted with a completely re-engineered, 2.5-litre twin-turbo diesel engine, producing 163 ps and 400 Nm of torque, available with a six-speed manual or five-speed automatic transmission.

For more information visit www.isuzu.co.uk.

CV Show Roundup: Vans We Haven’t Seen Before

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It’s the CV Show this week at the Birmingham NEC, but most of the vans on display have been covered in these pages in recent weeks or are well-established models that you will probably already be familiar with.

Instead of an exhaustive roundup, I thought I would just feature some pictures of vans that are new or are unusual in some other way – including some more pictures of the stunning new Transit Custom!

So without further ado, here goes!

First up (in approximate alphabetical order), Chinese manufacturer DFSK was here in force, with Mini Vans of all shapes, but just one compact size:

DFSK Mini Van Tipper

DFSK Mini Van Tipper

DFSK Mini Van Crew Cab Dropside

DFSK Mini Van Crew Cab Dropside

DFSK Mini Van Minibus!

The DFSK Mini Van Minibus!

DFSK Mini Van Panel Van

DFSK Mini Van Panel Van - note the rather strange, BMW-esque radiator grill...

Next up, the delectable new Ford Transit Custom, which will go on sale in the UK sometime later this year:

Ford Transit Custom side shot

The new Transit Custom in a rather fetching shade of blue

Ford Transit Custom front shot

From the front, it could almost be a car...

Ford Transit Custom rear view

...while from behind, the Transit Custom looks rather like a Sprinter to me

Ford Transit Custom interior

Inside, the new Transit Custom is unmistakeably a Ford!

I don’t think I’ve featured the Hyundai iLoad before – nothing much to say other than it also comes in 8/9 seat minibus format and I have no doubt it will be as reliable and sensible as the company’s cars are:

Hyundai iLoad panel van

The Hyundai iLoad panel van, looking foxy in black

Nissan promised to launch its NV400 chassis cab range at the CV Show, so here’s an example in dropside tipper guise. The NV400 is of course based on the Renault Master and like the Master is quite thin on the ground so far, although I’m starting to see more of them around:

Nissan NV400 dropside tipper

Nissan NV400 dropside tipper from the company's range of off-the-shelf conversions

There were two new versions of the Peugeot Partner for fans of this popular van to drool over, a forthcoming electric version and a new ATV ‘all terrain’ version featuring the company’s Grip Control system.

Peugeot Partner ATV

The Peugeot Partner ATV - with the Grip Control traction system

Peugeot Partner Electric Van

Peugeot Partner Electric Van - coming soon...

Slightly out of order but none the worse for that is the impressive and probably very durable Mitsubishi Fuso Canter, in its new 4×4 guise:

Mitsubishi Fuso Canter 4x4

The new Mitsubishi Fuso Canter 4x4

A small van from a very big Indian name – the Tata Ace EV electric van made an appearance and also was also on display in dropside tipper format:

Tata Ace EV electric van

The Tata Ace EV electric van

Luton’s finest had a good range of vehicles on display, too, and as Vauxhall is near the end of the alphabet, you may be relieved to discover you are nearly at the end of this rather long post…

The new Combo looks set to be as successful as the previous model and comes in more, larger sizes than ever before:

Vauxhall Combo long wheelbase

The long wheelbase version of the new Vauxhall Combo - it also comes in a high roof model

Vauxhall Combo interior

Inside the new Combo; unmistakeably Vauxhall

Vauxhall Combo police van

Coming soon to a police station near you...

Finally, a treat for patriotic van buyers. It isn’t remotely new but it is still one of the most popular medium vans on the road – and it’s made in Britain. Yes, Vauxhall laid on a specially-wrapped Vauxhall Vivaro to remind visitors that it builds more vans in the UK than any other manufacturer:

Vauxhall Vivaro - built in Britain

Vauxhall Vivaro - built in Britain

I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief look at some of the new or unusual vehicles on display at the CV Show.

There were, of course, countless other vans and lorries at the CV Show, but there is only so much that I can expect readers to look at, so I thought I would restrict myself to things you might not have seen before, plus a few favourites that deserve to be featured again.

Any comments on vans or the CV Show very welcome – the comment box below is all yours!

Nissan Cabstar Voted Light Truck Of The Year 2012

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Nissan Cabstar

The Nissan Cabstar

The Nissan Cabstar has been chosen as Light Truck of the Year 2012 at the VansA2Z.com awards, which took place at Twickenham stadium recently.

The Cabstar was judged to be the best in class for its choice of wheelbases and conversions and its improved cabin space for driver and passenger comfort.

Neil McIntee, Editor of VansA2Z commented: “Performance has improved greatly since the current powerplants were installed under the cab — Cabstar has a forward-control configuration — and anyone who hasn’t sat in one for a while will be pleasantly surprised by the amount of room afforded the occupants. Cabstar is designed to be an uncomplaining workhorse and it fulfils the task admirably.”

The Cabstar is available as a single or crew chassis cab with a choice of three wheelbases: short, mid and long, plus two engine options; 2.5-litre with a choice of five or six speed manual gearbox and 3.0 litre which is equipped with a six speed manual gearbox.

There are also a number of conversions available – Dropside, Tipper, Box Van and a Freezer/Chiller.

James Douglas, corporate sales director, Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd commented: “The Cabstar is perfect for urban environments and delivers value to any business with low cost of ownership and exceptional manoeuvrability. We are delighted to receive this award from VansA2Z.”

vanrental.co.uk says:

Scaled-down trucks like the Cabstar are not historically popular in the UK, with most UK operators seeming to prefer scaled-up vans operating at the top of their weight range.

Light truck models are much more popular in more demanding foreign markets, where their toughness is a useful attribute – and I think they deserve to be more popular in the UK, too.

For more information on the Cabstar, visit www.nissan.co.uk.

Nissan To Reveal NV400 Chassis Cab Range At CV Show

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Nissan NV400 tipper van

Nissan NV400 Tipper

Nissan will exclusively reveal its new NV400 chassis cab range at the Birmingham CV Show in April.

This will be made up of factory dropside and tipper options plus a Good To Go range of bodybuilder conversion that will be sold through dealers as a complete vehicle, ensuring it is compliant with the forthcoming EU Whole Vehicle Type Approval requirements.

A mid and long wheelbase NV400 chassis cab in both front and rear wheel drive will be launched with two factory built vehicles and a Nissan Good To Go range of conversions.  All will be offered by Nissan dealers.

There will be two engine options of 125hp and 150hp and a total of 13 variants to choose from including a single cab and double cab. The factory-built conversions initially comprise a dropside and tipper which are built on the production line and will be delivered to the operator ready for action.

The Good To Go range will include a box van, Luton and fridge van, plus a combi and minibus option that will be built by UK converters handpicked by Nissan and sold by dealers to operators as a complete vehicle.

“The CV Show is a great platform to launch our new NV400 chassis cab and remind operators that Nissan has one of the widest LCV ranges on offer in the UK,” explained James Douglas, Nissan Motor GB’s corporate sales director.

“With the NV400 semi forward van based chassis cab and the Cabstar truck chassis cab Nissan has two base vehicles that operators can use to build virtually any size or shape of conversion to match their business requirements. We believe this will help further grow our LCV sales in 2012,” he added.

Nissan is focused on promoting the NV400 (which is a rebadged Renault Master) as part of its plan to build on last year’s record LCV sales.

For more information, visit www.nissan.co.uk or the CV Show website.