Nissan’s all-electric e-NV200 van is helping to provide a lifeline for hundreds of elderly and vulnerable people across south-east Wales after being drafted into service by Torfaen County Borough Council’s Community Meals service.
The local authority has taken delivery of five of the multi-award winning city vans and is using them to deliver hot meals, desserts and tea trays to around 175 residents across an area of 126km2 every day.
The vans, which have been supplied through local Nissan dealer Wessex Garages, have replaced a fleet of aging Citroen diesels. Together, they will help the council save around £8,000 per year on fuel – relieving pressure on the already tight Community Meals budget – and make a major contribution towards the borough’s carbon reduction targets.
The council also expects to make significant maintenance savings, with the simplicity of the e-NV200’s all-electric drivetrain making burnt out clutches and malfunctioning starter motors – commonplace issues with standard multidrop delivery vans – a thing of the past.
Councillor Anthony Hunt, Deputy Leader of Torfaen County Borough Council, said: “These vans offer a win-win situation for the council. Firstly, we expect to make fuel savings of around £8,000 per vehicle, per year which is a major benefit for the residents of Torfaen at a time when budgets are tight. Secondly the vehicles will have a significant impact as we look to reduce our carbon emissions and improve air quality in the county.”
Launched last year, the Nissan e-NV200 combines the NV200 – a former International Van of the Year – with the proven technology of the record breaking Nissan LEAF, the world’s bestselling electric car.
It costs just two pence per mile to run and users also benefit from low maintenance costs that make for unrivalled total cost of ownership, which is estimated to be £2,500 lower than a conventional diesel over three years.
It can cover 106 miles on a single charge and can be charged from zero to 100% in just 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, the model, which is priced from £13,568 in panel van form (incorporating Government Plug-In Van Grant) offers a class-leading 4.2m3 capacity and an impressive 703kg payload.
