Tag Archives: NV200

British Gas orders 100 Nissan e-NV200 electric vans following winter trial

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Nissan e-NV200 British Gas trial van

One of the Nissan e-NV200 electric vans trialled by British Gas over the last winter.

It’s all going to plan for Nissan: the e-NV 200 electric van has come through a series of well-publicised long-term operational trials with flying colours and has now received a 100-van order from trial partner British Gas, ahead of the e-NV200’s official launch in June.

The order was announced at the start of the CV Show in Birmingham today, and is part of British Gas’ wider commitment to electrify 10% of its 13,000-strong fleet by 2017. British Gas will receive 50 vans as soon as possible and a further 50 by the end of 2014.

As I have been saying for many years, the logical opportunity for mainstream adoption of electric vans isn’t the private car market, where usage is often inconsistent and unpredictable, it’s the van market — many vans operate on fixed routes and schedules which make range anxiety and charging requirements irrelevant.

British Gas’ winter trial of the e-NV200 was the UK’s largest electric van evaluation to date, and saw 28 e-NV200s cover in excess of 60,000 miles between them, to verify how the vans performed in winter conditions, during typical British Gas home services daily usage patterns. Proof of the trial’s success was that some drivers were reluctant to hand back their vans.

Colin Marriott, general manager, fleet at British Gas said:

“We have been extremely impressed with the performance of the Nissan e-NV200 during our winter trial. The feedback from our engineers speaks for itself, with the majority saying they would be happy to keep the van permanently.

“Taking on 100 of these vehicles on a permanent basis demonstrates our continued commitment to leading the adoption of this technology amongst large vehicle fleets in the UK.  With technology and infrastructure improving all the time, we look forward to expanding this number in the coming years.”

The e-NV200 will be available to purchase from June 2014.

Nissan ousts Citroen from PH Jones fleet after 4-week trial

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PH Jones Nissan NV200 fleet

Vans from PH Jones’ 227-strong fleet of Nissan NV200 vans, which replaced the firm’s previous Citroen Berlingo and Dispatch vans.

Nissan’s efforts to expand its UK van business appear to be paying off, after the firm managed to replace Citroen as the main provider of vans to British Gas subsidiary PH Jones, which recently took delivery of 227 Nissan NV200 SE vans.

The decision to switch from Citroen Berlingo and Dispatch vans — both favourites with SMEs — to the NV200, a relative newcomer, came after PH Jones undertook a four-week trial of a NV200 SE, complete with full racking, to test whether the van would be the appropriate vehicle for its fleet daily usage patterns.

Drivers praised the NV200 SE for its comfort plus its ability to safely house all of their repair tools and equipment.

The new vans are all in PH Jones livery and will cover around three million miles per year. Commenting on the decision, on Marshall, PH Jones fleet manager said:

“This is a very large order for us so it was important we undertook an intensive vehicle trial to ensure the vans would be fit for purpose. As well as being a hit with the drivers thanks to the handling and air conditioning, the support from Nissan throughout has been excellent and we look forward to continuing to work together in the coming months.”

Originally established in 1963 as a local heating contractor in the North West and Wales, PH Jones has expanded to become a social housing provider to homes across the country providing central heating installations, heating service and repair and electrical services.

Nissan Launches Facelifted NV200 London Taxi Conversion

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Nissan NV200 London TaxiNissan’s plans to launch a London tax model based on its NV200 van (or ‘multi-purpose platform’, to use the company’s preferred description) are no secret. The company first showcased a working model back in August 2012, but things have changed a bit since then.

According to Nissan, it received feedback from the London Mayor’s office and Transport for London which sent the firm’s designers scurrying back to their drawing boards to change the way the taxi looks.

Designers at Nissan’s European design centre in Paddington have drawn on styling cues from the current TX1 cab in an effort to persuade passengers and cabbies that their vehicle belongs on London’s streets. Although the NV200 taxi is also destined for use in Barcelona, New York and Tokyo, the firm will produce a London-specific version in an effort to provide the required look.

Among the specific changes that have been made to the front of the NV200 taxi are:

  • Round headlamps and a re-modelled grille mirroring the traditional black cab ‘face’
  • LED lighting to improve visibility of the traditional taxi sign
  • Completely new front bumper panels

Design Excellence Manager at NDE, Darryl Scriven, said:

“Having already overcome the unique technical challenges presented by the development of a new Hackney Carriage for London ahead of our launch of the vehicle in August 2012, we turned our attention to making the vehicle look the part.

“The Mayor’s office and taxi drivers were very keen that we maintain the character of the Hackney Carriage, making it something that people in the city can be proud of.

“The main challenges were concerned with making sure customers can easily recognise it as a taxi. Being in London, we were able to go out and talk to cabbies about what was important to them as well as look at the vehicle from a customer’s viewpoint. It’s unusual for us to be able to work on something as bespoke as this, specifically for one location in the world and we are very proud to have been asked to do so.”

Nissan intends to put the NV200 Taxi for London on sale in the Capital in December 2014, followed by an all-electric version, the e-NV200, in 2015. From launch, the new taxi will be available with a 1.6-litre petrol engine equipped with an automatic gearbox. Compared to current diesel London taxis, this engine will be far cleaner, with lower levels of NOx and particulates.

Nissan Launches Ready-To-Roll NV200 Fridge Van

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Nissan NV200 Fridge

The cooling unit hardly protrudes above the roofline in the Nissan NV200 Fridge – the bulk of the unit is inside, as the picture below shows.

Nissan has launched a refrigerated conversion of its NV200 van that will be available directly from main dealers, with prices starting from £19,375.

The firm says that the decision to offer a fridge van conversion is the result of strong fleet and business demand and highlights that buyers of the new van will get Nissan’s standard three-year warranty, which will include the insulated cell and the cooling unit.

The conversion itself is carried out for Nissan by French converter Gruau, which will install a moulded polyester-polyurethane insulated cell with a cubic capacity of 2.2m³and a Carrier low-profile roof-mounted cooling unit, which will cool the van down to 0°C.

Unlike many aftermarket fridge conversions, where box-like cooling units are bolted on top of the front of the roof, this cooling unit barely protrudes above roof level and maintains the original look and aerodynamic qualities of the van — the majority of the cooling unit is inside the van, although not in such a way as to be likely to affect the usable loadspace.

Nissan NV200 Fridge van insulated cell

Inside the Nissan NV200 Fridge van.

Nissan says that the entire conversion adds just 215kg to the weight of the vehicle, leaving a useful 524kg of payload.

The NV200 Fridge Van also comes fitted with a mains connection, so that it can be plugged into a standard 13A socket overnight to maintain the temperature in the refrigerated compartment.

The van is powered by Nissan’s ever-present (and very good) 1.5 dCi diesel engine, which boasts an official fuel consumption figure of 57mpg, although I would imagine the fridge might reduce this a bit.

Barry Beeston, Nissan corporate sales director said:

“A lot of great work has gone into developing the NV200 Fridge as the ideal solution for any fresh food company’s transportation needs. With the conversion adding little weight to the vehicle, the driving quality and the nimble performance of the base NV200 is maintained. ”

The standard version of the NV200 Fridge includes rear doors only and starts from £19,375, but a model with an additional sliding side door is also available, from £19,675. The van is available to order now from Nissan dealers.

Nissan Continues Fleet Market Growth With Two New Wins

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Barkers Group new Nissan vans

The new fleet of Barker Group Nissans

Nissan has continued to make progress with its drive into the fleet market with two further SME wins, include one where the customer chose to switch to Nissan from Mercedes-Benz.

Bournemouth-based Barker Group, the long established laundry and dry cleaning company, will now use six Primastars and one NV400 (click here for our guide to van sizes) to cover the firm’s operations in the southern counties, including some blue chip clients in London.

The vehicles were chosen by Barker Group after a search to find a better value alternative to the Mercedes LCVs that were previously on its fleet. A detailed presentation led by Nissan Westway Fleet Operations revealed the Nissan vehicles selected offer the best value for pence-per-mile operation.

Matthew Barker, Barker Group managing director said:

“We’re really excited by the new partnership with Nissan that will allow us to grow our business even further. As well as offering fantastic value for money we’ve received great early feedback from drivers about the performance and versatility of the vehicles.”

In the Midlands, Derby-based plumbing and heating firm Vinshire Plumbing and Heating has also made the choice to switch to Nissan, and has added 11 NV200s to its fleet for use by its servicing and maintenance engineers. The vans will cover up to 20,000 miles per year and have been well-received so far, as Vinshire’s Quality Control Manager Simon Burdell explains:

“The NV200s have proved to be a great addition to our fleet and are ideal for the needs of both our maintenance and installation engineers. The feedback has been universally positive so far with the ordering of more vehicles from Nissan a real possibility.”

Although Nissan’s overall share of the UK van market remains small, the firm’s ongoing stream of wins suggests that it is committed to the UK LCV market and can offer highly competitive running costs compared to the ‘incumbent’ manufacturers.

Nissan Boosts LCV Fleet Credentials With 275-Van Order

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Nissan NV200 owned by Richard Irvin Services Group

One of the 220 Nissan NV200 vans ordered by Richard Irvin Services Group.

Nissan has never been a big player in the UK fleet van market, but it is gradually making in-roads into this important sector.

Earlier this year, British Gas added 138 Nissan Primastars to its fleet and the Japanese manufacturer has now announced that it has received an order to supply 275 NV200 and Primastar vans to Scottish building services and engineering company, Richard Irvin Services Group (RISG).

The initial order comprises 220 NV200s and 55 Primastars and will be delivered in stages over the next 30 months. Each van will be kept for four years and all will be finished in striking RISG livery. The NV200s will have roof racking fitted with a roller bar plus internal racking for equipment and tools storage.

24 NV200s and 10 Primastars medium vans are already with RISG field engineers who will use the new vehicles to provide an around-the-clock maintenance service when visiting customers who require an on-call reactive service. This order is Nissan’s largest corporate LCV order yet in the UK, highlighting the progress it is making in this key sector.

RISG receives in excess of 60,000 customer calls per annum, and covers the whole of Scotland. As a result, it needed vehicles that are reliable and can comfortably house repair equipment, as well as keep their drivers in comfortable and safe when covering long distances.

Feedback so far has been positive, with drivers praising the vans for their handling, performance and fuel economy.

George Robb, Richard Irvin Services Group procurement director said:

“We’re currently going through a period of investing in our people and capital and this deal marks an integral part of this strategy. We took a product rather than price led selection approach by making sure our drivers tested the vehicles first to ensure they were fit for purpose and we’re happy the feedback so far from the drivers has been so positive.”

Although the Vauxhall Vivaro and some Renault Trafic models are manufactured at the Vauxhall plant at Luton, the Nissan Primastar — despite being essentially the same vehicle — is manufactured at Nissan’s plant in Spain, near Barcelona, as is the NV200. Nissan remains one of the largest vehicle manufacturers in the UK, however, building several of its popular car models, including the Juke and the Qashqai, at its Sunderland plant, which employs 6,000 people.

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.

Nissan LCV Sales Up 174% In 2011

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Nissan NV200

Nissan NV200

Nissan’s vans were flying off the shelves in 2011…

As I wrote recently, 2011 was a strong year for van sales – but for Nissan more than most.

The Japanese manufacturer recorded an impressive 174% rise in LCV sales in the UK in 2011, selling 10,854 commercial vehicles and increasing its market share from 2.8% to 4.2%.

If you are thinking that these figures might be skewed by the inclusion of the Navara 4×4 pickup – they aren’t. Although the Navara recorded a 187% increase in sales, the thoroughly van-like Primastar recorded a 201% increase and Nissan’s new smaller van, the NV200, saw sales rise by 191%.

Nissan’s performance was strongest in the retail section, which includes small businesses. The Primarstar, which is a rebadged, Luton-built Vauxhall Vivaro/Renault Trafic guise – is a firm favourite with tradesmen and other small businesses and remains a class act despite its increasing age.

Commenting on Nissan’s prospects for 2012, Francis Bleasdale, Nissan Motor GB’s LCV sales and marketing director said:

“There are signs that fleets in particular are starting to replace their LCVs after extending replacement cycles during 2009 and 2010 which should help fuel sales. And our dealer network is also reporting a strong demand for used Nissan LCVs.”

Bleasdale also commented that Nissan’s new Renault Master-based NV400 was only launched at the end of 2011, saying that he expected “the full impact of this exciting addition to the range will be more evident during 2012.”

None of Nissan’s commercial vehicle range is built at its Sunderland plant, but several models are built in Europe and four out of five of Nissan’s commercial vehicle models are new or have been updated for 2012 – only the Primastar remains largely unchanged from previous years.

Nissan has started 2012 extremely well with 722 sales in January, equivalent to a 5.0 per cent market share, up from its 697 sales and 4.1 per cent market share in January 2011 – a contrast to the general downward trend seen this January.

Nissan Electric Van Trial In London

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Nissan NV200 EV prototype in FedEx livery as used in London

The NV200 EV will be used by FedEx Express on a two-month trial in London

Nissan is beginning a two-month trial of a prototype electric version of its NV200 van in London. The van will be used for urban deliveries and collections by  FedEx Express, the courier company.

The NV200 EV uses the same powertrain as the Nissan Leaf electric car, which has already sold more than 20,000 units around the globe and was the world’s all-electric mass-market car.

As an all-electric vehicle, it will be exempt from the London Congestion Charge and the more stringent 2012 Low Emission Zone requirements; it is zero emission at the tailpipe.

FedEx Express currently operates 43 all-electric vehicles in London, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Memphis- all of which are ideal dense urban centres.

With zero emissions, no tailpipe, and energy-recycling regenerative braking, the Nissan NV200 EV prototype is particularly well-suited for congested city streets where poor air quality is causing increased concern and the start and stop of city traffic reduces the wasteful loss of energy and thus increases the efficiency of the vehicle’s driveline. Battery charging options include a complete recharge overnight or up to 80 per cent capacity in just 30 minutes using a Quick Charger.

Nissan is aiming to become a world leader in electric vehicles and has already trialled the NV200 EV on postal deliveries for the Japan Post Service.