Nissan will launch the world’s first production electric vehicle that can haul seven passengers this summer.
The new van is, as you might have guessed, based on the ubiquitous Nissan NV200 that we’ve already seen in panel van, taxi and Chevy form. More specifically, it’s based on the purely electric version called the e-NV200 that is already on sale in Europe and Japan, but remains in a testing phase here in the US.
The Tetris-like configurability of the cargo bay has now gained it a third row. The new 7-seater will be launched in the UK in July, due to what Nissan says is “huge interest” from private car service operators and large families.
Two foldable, stowable full-size rear seats now populate the back. As a result, the cargo area is, of course, reduced, to about 31 cubic feet. However, to free up more space the second row slides and folds forward while the two rearmost seats fold to the sides, Honda Element-like, to reveal 104 cubic feet. For reference, Nissan says it can swallow three bicycles upright with the wheels attached.
Along with the new layout, Nissan is also offering its Evalia trim level on both 5- and 7-passenger versions. The trim level includes creature comforts, rear privacy glass and body-colored bumpers to make what is essentially a commercial van feel more like a minivan. There is no word yet on whether a 7-seater NV200, electric or not, will make landfall stateside.
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