Nissan e-NV200 (2014 – 2021) Review

Nissan e-NV200 (2014 – 2021) At A Glance

4/5

+Very comfortable and quiet, amazing running cost savings compared to diesel, absolutely no compromise on space or versatility.

-Range anxiety won’t quite go away.

As an ell-electric van with a theoretical three-figure mileage range and no compromise on loading capacity, Nissan is calling the e-NV200 a 'game changer'. That may well be the case, although the game started a while ago – Peugeot put the Partner Electric on sale in 2013 and Renault sells the Kangoo Z.E. 

Like the regular NV200, van and combi versions are available, making this the basis for extremely capacious family transport – and effectively the UK’s first all-electric MPV. As a workhorse, the e-NV200 van provides 4.2 cubic metres of load space and a maximum payload of 705kg. 

So without any practicality compromises, the only thing left to cause a van man any anxiety is that most anxiety-inducing issue of all electric vehicles: its range. And arguably it’s more prevalent here, because a van that runs out of charge during a delivery is a van that’s losing its business money. 

Nissan has worked hard to counter this problem, first of all by giving the e-NV200 batteries enough for a theoretical 106-mile range, which was extended to a maximum of 124-miles in 2017 with the fitment of a larger battery. 

Charging shouldn’t cause too much stress either, says Nissan. Find a ‘rapid’ battery charger capable of juicing the battery from 20 to 80 per cent from flat in 40 minutes. And there’s the good old home socket, of course, which is where most will find their power, overnight, depending on the amp rating of the supply, charging can take between four and 12 hours.

Nissan admits that the e-NV200 won’t work for everyone, but also estimates that around a third of vans on the road never do more than 80 miles in a day – a significant target market to entice into, as Nissan puts it, "never buying diesel again". 

Ask Honest John

What's the best petrol/electric minibus?

"I am trying to find a good quality comfortable 7 or 8 seater mini bus for my local golf club. It needs to be spacious to allow ease of access and with room for golf clubs. As it will be doing very short trips with some steep hills it probably needs to be petrol or electric. The current Mercedes Viano petrol engined vehicle is on its last legs. Any suggestions?"
A petrol Volkswagen Caravelle or Transporter Shuttle would suit your needs. They are good to drive, available with twin side sliding doors (for easy access) and will carry eight adults (including the driver). Admittedly they are not cheap (even a one-year-old van will set you back £30,000+) but they are the best petrol minibus on the market right now: https://vans.honestjohn.co.uk/van-reviews/volkswagen/caravelle-t6-2015/ The only viable electric option is the Nissan eNV200 combi, which will carry seven. It's not as upmarket as the Volkswagen or as spacious, but prices start below £30,000 (new) and the van will cover up to 124 miles on a single charge: https://vans.honestjohn.co.uk/van-reviews/nissan/env200-2014/
Answered by Dan Powell

I need a petrol van-based people carrier - what should I look at?

"I have a large family and currently have a Volkswagen Caravelle TDI which is causing us misery as I only do short journeys and the DPF is a nightmare. I need a similar petrol van but can’t find one in our price range £25k and that can fit us all in comfortably. Any thoughts? I can’t go smaller as it would mean moving seats everytime I need to get kids in and out. "
I'm afraid the options are rather limited when it comes to large, petrol-powered vans. One alternative could be the all-electric Nissan e-NV200 Combi; it's based on the panel van and gets seven-seats and will cover 130+ miles on a single charge: https://vans.honestjohn.co.uk/van-reviews/nissan/env200-2014/ Or you could buy a petrol SUV with seven-seats, but that'll mean moving seats to get the kids in and out. If you are willing to make this compromise, the accomplished Skoda Kodiaq would be a worthy alternative: https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/skoda/kodiaq-2016/ Personally, I'd go for the Ford Tourneo Connect. For sure, it isn't as practical as the larger Volkswagen Caravelle, but it is easy to drive, comfortable and available with petrol power: https://vans.honestjohn.co.uk/van-reviews/ford/tourneo-connect-2014/
Answered by Dan Powell

Would an electric car cope with hilly terrain?

"We currently have a Honda Jazz CVT. My my wife, who has limited mobility, really likes it. However, we feel that with the type of motoring that we do, journeys up to about 25 miles from home, that an electric car would be a good alternative. Our area is quite hilly, which makes quite a dent in our Jazz's petrol consumption (45+mpg on relatively level roads down to 40mpg going over hills). Would an electric car cope with this? With battery rental, the impression I get is that the cost would be about the same as filling up with petrol, which somewhat defeats the object of an electric car. At the moment, we are thinking of a Nissan Leaf, but would value your views if there were an alternative. Are the used versions any good? I understand that Honda do a Hybrid CVT for the Jazz."
Yes, hills will make a significant dent in the range of electric cars. But my parents live in Hexham Northumberland which has steep hills in the town itself and all around and there are a number of Nissan Leaf and Nissan eNV200 electric vans operating in the area, so they must make sense. Better to go for one with longer range batteries though. Good choice these days. Kia Soul electric, Hyundai Ioniq electric, Renault Zoe, Nissan Leaf and plenty of secondhand Mitsubishi i-Miev, Citroen C-ZERO, Peugeot iOn, Renault Fluence ZE, etc going cheap. Honda did a Mk II Jazz hybrid. Plenty of Yaris hybrids. The Toyota Auris hybrid works well. Prius extremely popular.
Answered by Honest John
More Questions

What does a Nissan e-NV200 (2014 – 2021) cost?