Nissan Testing the e-NV200 in Portland, Mulling U.S. Release
Earlier, we mused that Nissan might want to consider bringing the electric version of the Taxi of Tomorrow to New York within the next five years to satiate the needs of disgruntled cabbies. It seems like the automaker is already a step or two ahead, as they have announced that they have begun testing the e-NV200 in Portland, which is a hotbed for electric vehicles and people who love to say that they knew about things before other people did.
“Oregon has been a top five market for Nissan LEAF sales in the U.S. due to proactive policies at the state level to encourage EV adoption, as well as robust charging infrastructure championed by the state and others like PGE,” said Toby Perry, Nissan’s director of EV Marketing in the U.S. “If we determine that e-NV200 fits into the U.S. commercial vehicle market, we expect that Portland would be a leading driver for sales as well.”
Nissan is teaming with Portland General Electric for a six-week trial that will determine whether the e-NV200 has a place in the States. It will go on sale in Europe later this summer and in Japan sometime by year’s end. The e-NV200 prototype is being used in a fleet of vehicles used by an underground crew, standing in for a diesel-powered van.
Throughout the year, Nissan will continue testing the e-NV200 in Portland, as well as California, Georgia, and Washington D.C., in order to got a sense of the benefits upgrading to an all-electric cargo van could create for companies like PGE and FedEx.
In addition to being the proving ground for Nissan’s second all-electric vehicle, Portland is one of the early adopters of the “No Charge to Charge” promotion for the Nissan LEAF, which provides two years of no-cost public charging for those who choose to buy a new LEAF any time after April 1, 2014.
Also, it’s a place where, apparently, you will not ever be able to determine who has the right of way at a two way stop.
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