Thursday, July 12, 2012

FedEx Express to Test 100% Electric Nissan e-NV200

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., in cooperation with FedEx Express, will carry out real-world driving tests of the 100% electric commercial vehicle, e-NV200, in the Yokohama area beginning in mid-July. The e-NV200 test vehicle is based on Nissan’s multi-purpose compact van NV200.

Nissan will provide FedEx Express with a test model e-NV200 to use as a delivery vehicle for approximately one month. Nissan will then evaluate the vehicle’s potential for the delivery of international air cargo. This will be the second test conducted with FedEx, following a similar trial in Europe during last winter.

Nissan has road tested the e-NV200 with several other major fleet companies this year, including AEON Retail Co., Ltd. in Japan and British Gas in Europe. Valuable feedback gleaned from the real-world testing will be reflected in the development of future Nissan production models.

The 100% electric commercial vehicle e-NV200 provides families and businesses with a functional and roomy interior and is intended to be a breakthrough in commercial vehicles, serving to underline Nissan’s leadership in the electric vehicle (EV) segment. The model offers all the spaciousness, versatility, and practicality of the base vehicle NV200. Employing the advanced powertrain of the 100% electric vehicle Nissan LEAF on the e-NV200 provides exceptionally smooth acceleration and quietness, driving characteristics which are unique to electric vehicles, while keeping CO2 emissions zero at the point of use. Additionally, the model’s enviable cost of ownership – a priority for many companies – will be a highly attractive attribute when it competes in the commercial vehicle marketplace.

Masamichi Ujiie, regional vice president, North Pacific, FedEx Express, said, “FedEx has been implementing various environmentally-friendly initiatives all over the world. Since 2005 our goal has been to make our vehicle fleet 20% more fuel efficient by 2020. FedEx is gradually shifting its delivery fleet to more efficient vehicles and increasing its investment in all-electric and alternative drivetrain vehicles.

“We value this opportunity to provide feedback and contribute to the development of the e-NV200,” continued Ujiie.“FedEx is committed to delivering highly reliable service to our customers in an environmentally responsible way.”

The Nissan NV200 is a new-generation compact commercial vehicle suited to a wide variety of driving situations for customers around the world, including businesses, daily use, or leisure. It was chosen as the base vehicle for New York’s Taxi of Tomorrow—the exclusive taxi of New York City. The NV200 first became available in Japan and Europe in 2009 and is now available in many other countries, including China and Malaysia. Future launches are planned for the U.S. and India. Nissan now sells the NV200 in approximately 40 countries throughout the world. It has received positive feedback from customers for its spacious interior, competitive fuel economy, excellent driving performance, and attractive design.

Nissan aims to be the leader in zero emissions vehicles. In addition to carrying out the development of electric vehicles, the company is engaged in comprehensive efforts to expand the use of electric vehicles and promote sustainable mobility. The Renault-Nissan Alliance has already concluded more than 100 partnerships related to zero emission mobility with national and local governments, and corporations, throughout the world. Nissan is also engaged in related efforts such as producing lithium ion batteries; developing the EV charging infrastructure and proprietary speed charging equipment; and the recycling and reuse of batteries.

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