NEWS ANALYSIS: Nissan targets city fleets with longer-range EV

Date: Thursday, March 15, 2018   |   Author: Guy Bird

 

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Featuring the same battery as in the new Nissan Leaf compact hatchback, recharging times are 21.5 hours from a domestic 10A three-pin plug, 5.5 hours from a new sub-£1,000 7kW wall box (quicker than the existing 6.6kW’s 7.5-hour offering with the mk1) or just one hour to 80% range from a 50kW quick-charger.

Nissan is also targeting fleets by introducing an easy-to-install, more cost-effective mid-range 22kW unit that can fully ‘refuel’ in two hours.

“Feedback from business was that slow-charging and expensive investment were issues,” said Nissan Europe’s electric vehicle director Gareth Dunsmore. “While we offered a 50kW quick-charger before [and still will], we could only install them via partner firms and the cost with planning applications and digging holes could be £5,000-£50,000. This 22kW charger is ‘plug-and-play on the wall’ and fitted in-house, so much cheaper.”

While Nissan’s UK charger price structure has not yet been made public, Dunsmore said the 22kW version would be in the “low £1,000s plus the day-rate of an electrician”, and thus a massive saving in time and money. Meanwhile Nissan has pledged to expand its European public quick-charging network from 4,600 currently to 5,600 by 2019 (up 20%).

Dunsmore also trumpeted the opportunity for businesses to potentially earn money from their electric vans’ spare energy via bi-directional charging. Connected to an office or depot when parked, the idea is they will be able to help balance the electricity grid by either topping it up or acting as extra storage space. Dunsmore reckoned businesses could earn £35 per week for hooking up their fleets in such a way.

Official prices for the spring 2018 launch were unconfirmed at the time of going to print but should be in line with current models, so circa £17,250-£20,000 (minus VAT) for the e-NV200 van and £24,500-£28,250 (inc. VAT) for the extra-seated Combi (all with the full £4,500 Government plug-in grant).



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