Star turn - Nissan Townstar Electric

What is it?

It’s the new, all electric, Nissan Townstar, a replacement for the NV200 small van in the brand’s van line-up.

It’s a sibling to the Renault Kangoo and Mercedes-Benz Citan, with all three being largely the same vehicle with various cosmetic differences.

It’s aimed at operators who work relatively small local areas and who can charge at a central base. With a range of 180 or so miles it’s a very appealing prospect for last mile deliveries as well as commercial vehicle customers looking to future-proof their business operations and transition to zero emission motoring.

The Townstar is the latest addition to Nissan’s electrified line-up and provides an efficient mobility solution to help customers adapt to changing emissions regulations, increased urbanisation and the growth of e-commerce.

Prices rise as you go up the range. There are two lengths (L1 and L2) and three trims (Acenta, Tekna and Tekna+). Pricing starts at 33,995 + VAT for the entry-level L1 Acenta, running up to £38,545 + VAT for the top-spec L2 Tekna+. There’s also a crew van model in L2 length.

Allan Newman, LCV Product Manager at Nissan GB, said: “Offering a fully electric powertrain, practical design and unique Nissan technologies, Townstar is comprehensively equipped to meet customers’ ever-changing needs. With tougher emissions standards, urban access restrictions, and ever-increasing demand for last-mile delivery, businesses need to find effective and sustainable solutions to remain competitive and optimise their operations.”

The Townstar EV builds on the success of the e-NV200, Nissan’s previous all-electric compact van and a former UK best-seller. It features an efficient, aerodynamic design and a powertrain optimised with intelligent energy management and battery thermal cooling. Delivering 122 PS and 245Nm of torque, the Townstar EV’s 45kWh battery offers both AC charging (11 kW or 22 kW) or DC CCS quick-charging, the latter of which enables users to charge the battery from 15% to 80% in as little as 37 minutes. Battery thermal cooling combined with the 22kW AC and 80kW DC CCS charging is standard from Acenta grade onward.

Businesses running vans in London’s expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone could reduce the cost of switching to a Townstar EV by a significant £12,000.

A number of grants and incentive payments are available for companies which are removing older, more polluting vehicles from their fleets and acquiring new zero-emission models such as the all-electric Townstar, which represents great value for money even without any discounts.

The avoidance of the £12.50 daily ULEZ charge would mean a further saving of more than £3,000 a year for a business running a Townstar EV from Monday to Friday.

The Mayor of London’s scrappage scheme supports eligible sole traders, small businesses, micro businesses and charities which are scrapping or retrofitting vehicles that don’t meet ULEZ emissions standards. Companies can apply for a grant payment of £9,500 to scrap a van and replace it with an electric one.

Also available to organisations acquiring electric versions of Townstar is the Plug-in Van Grant (PiVG). Administered by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), the largest sum currently available for any electric Townstar variant is £2,500. EV charging installation grants are also available via OZEV.

Depending on the specifications, other highlights include a payload of between 600 and 800kg and towing capacity of up to 1,500kg. The Townstar EV offers between 3.3 to 4.3 cubic metres of cargo carrying capacity – enough to carry two Euro pallets starting from the short wheelbase version.

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An array of available active and passive safety technologies for those on the move include Blind Spot Warning, Hands-Free Parking, Active Cruise Control, Intelligent Emergency Braking, Side Wind Assist and Trailer Sway Assist.

Inside there are more than 20 technology features, including an on-board connectivity service is and available with a 10-inch digital instrument panel. The electric Townstar also features Nissan’s ProPILOT Assist advanced driving assistance system to the LCV line-up.

This technology, along with Nissan’s Intelligent Around View Monitor (AVM), provides drivers with extra assistance. In addition, and for improved cabin comfort, automatic climate control and a heated steering wheel are available. Meanwhile, a heat pump improves both efficiency and comfort in colder temperatures by distributing heat from the battery into the cabin.

Every Nissan LCV boasts an industry-leading five-year or 100,000-mile warranty, demonstrating Nissan’s continued commitment to quality. The Townstar EV expands on this offering with an 8-year warranty on the battery state of health up to 70%.

What do we think?

We’ll start with the range as this is what most van operators will be interested in. While the claimed 180 miles sounds good, we could never achieve that from an overnight wallbox charge and there are other range inhibitors such as cargo weight and hills.

However, regeneration is very good. One round trip of around 16-miles only used up five miles of range, so you need to keep your eye on the big picture rather than what’s going on in the moment. So, there should be plenty enough juice for those last mile deliveries.

On board equipment covers most business needs, with sliding doors on both sides, full-width solid bulkhead, rear parking sensors and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.

Tekna specification adds a rear camera, front parking sensors and – particularly useful, a smartphone holder in front of the driver if you don’t want to use Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. Keyless entry is also available, another useful tool when making deliveries.

Top-spec Tekna+ gets fully colour-coded bumpers and trim, and 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, a fully digital driver display instead of analogue gauges, 360-degree camera system and an automated parking assistant. Nissan’s Pro Pilot semi-autonomous driving system, is also available.

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Sliding doors on both sides are very handy for loading and unloading while at the rear are 60/40-split doors, which open to 180 degrees. A solid bulkhead divides the cabin from the load area.

It’s comfortable enough in the cabin, the main issue, as with nearly all vans, is blind spot and rear view which is eased by large wing mirrors and reversing camera. All models have rear parking sensors, while Tekna and Tekna+ models also have parking sensors at the front.

Storage space through the cabin is good, with various slots, shelves and cubby holes while the load space is tall and square with good lashing points for securing your loads.

Best performance from the Townstar is urban stop-start driving, quiet, smooth and clean operation compared to petrol or diesel which makes for quite a relaxing working environment. Performance is good and the ride comfortable. The electric motor offers good acceleration from standstill which is a definite plus when operating in busy town centres.

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Auto-locking and unlocking on Tekna and Tekna+ models is becoming more common on vans and definitely useful for delivery drivers who are jumping in and out of the van on a regular basis.

The Townstar EV comes with Type 2-to-Type 2 cable for connecting to a wallbox or slow charger, as well as a Type 2-to-Type 3 cable for plugging into a regular three-pin socket. Charging point is located in the van’s nose, so you’ll need to park nose-first into a charging bay. It will charge at a maximum of 80kW if you have access to a fast enough charger. Nissan claims it can charge from 0-80% in about 40 minutes at that speed, although charging rate slows down for the last 20%.