Battery size: 40kWh
Miles per kWh: 3.35
E-Rating™: D
Max charge rate: 50 kW
Range: 124 miles
Range
The e-NV200’s range is tested in exactly the same way by the official testers as an electric car, which has given us a figure of 124 miles. That’s some sort of benchmark, but the truth is that this total will vary massively depending on where it’s driven and how the van is loaded. Fill it with heavy stuff and drive it flat out on the motorway with the heater on full and you’ll be looking at a figure in the seventies. But stick to towns in springtime and carry a load of parcels or dry cleaning and it will easily do 150+ miles – that’s more distance than most urban delivery vans will ever do in a day.
Battery
The 40kWh battery in the e-NV200 is shared with the Nissan Leaf, and is hidden under the floor to give the tall-sided van a lower centre of gravity. Nissan has been making electric car batteries since 2011 and there have been almost no incidences of them failing in the UK – they seem to be extremely reliable.
The only reported issue with the battery has been with the Leaf where the heat-protection software can slow down fast charging if the battery gets too hot, but this usually only happens after continual high-speed running followed by rapid charging a number of times. If you need to do long distances in a day then the e-NV200 might not be ideal for you.
Charging
Just like the Leaf, the e-NV200’s charging port is in the nose, making it very easy to plug if the charger is at the front of a parking bay. It’s a little awkward to access though, as you have to bend down to see the ports.
On the cheapest ‘Visia’ model you only get the normal AC attachment, which feeds the van at a maximum of 6.6kW. That could be enough for businesses who need a van to do a day’s work and then charge overnight.
The posher Acenta and Tekna models also get a second, larger socket for a 50W DC CHAdeMO rapid charger, as found at Nissan dealers, motorway services and many other public places. It can top up to 80% capacity in about 40 minutes. It should also be noted that the e-NV200 has a Type 1 slow charging port, which can be a pain if you arrive at a charger with a tethered Type 2 cable.
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