The electric version of Nissan’s NV200 light commercial vehicle has completed a successful trial as part of British Gas’
The e-NV200 has been on trial at British Gas
van fleet. The energy company were so impressed by the performance of the electric NV200 that they pledged to add at least 1,400 electric vans to their fleet by the end of 2015.
This would constitute 10% of British Gas’ 14,000 strong light commercial vehicle fleet; an impressive investment in sustainable vehicle technology.
The e-NV200 has been on trial at British Gas’ Leicester and Newbury depots for the past few weeks. The van was used to shadow regular vans on their daily trips to perform checks and services for customers. On these trips, the e-NV200 covered over 1,200 miles at maximum gross weight, greatly impressing company bosses;
“With electric cars and vans coming of age, we feel the time is now right for us to introduce electric vans into our fleet,” said Colin Marriot, General Manager of British Gas’ LCV fleet. “We are currently evaluating the benefits they can bring to UK fleets by implementing them into our own.”
“With fuel prices continuing to rise, one of the biggest benefits of the e-NV200 is the breakthrough in long term running cost savings,” he added.
In similar trials held in other parts of the world, electric LCVs have scored highly in terms of emissions reduction, driver comfort and payload. With more and more companies recognising electric vans as a viable option, expect to see them featuring heavily in fleets in the near future.
Source:
http://www.thegreencarwebsite.co.uk/blog/index.php/2012/05/11/british-gas-won-over-by-electric-nv200/
