Nissan expands e-NV200 pilot program to Portland

Nissan has announced that its US pilot program for the e-NV200 has been expanded to include Portland.

The automaker will supply electric services company Portland General Electric (PGE) with a small fleet of e-NV200s to be used by an underground maintenance crew. The all-electric vans will replace larger diesel-powered commercial vans for a period of six weeks.

The Portland program will run alongside similar small-scale tests with FedEx and other companies in top EV markets such as California, Georgia and Washington DC, providing the company with feedback that will be used to consider the viability of formally launching the e-NV200 in the US.

“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,” said Nissan’s US director of EV marketing, Toby Perry.

The electrified van is nearly identical to the standard NV200, but powered by a modified version of the Leaf’s drivetrain with an estimated range of up to 73 miles.

The e-NV200 is set to arrive in Europe this summer and later this year in Japan.