Nissan LCV Strategy to Exploit Europe’s Home Delivery Boom
Nissan hopes to tap the booming home delivery market in post-pandemic Europe with a focus on a new range of compact LCVs sporting both ICE and BEV powertrains.
The new vans will, like the current Nissan NV250 van, be manufactured at the Renault Maubeuge plant using an Alliance platform alongside the next-generation Renault Kangoo. The allocation of the next-generation of Nissan small vans to this Alliance center of excellence for small vans means that all of Nissan’s future compact LCVs for European customers will be manufactured in France.
Although naming and detailed product information will be released closer to the launch date, Nissan has confirmed the range will include all-electric and internal combustion engine options, as well as commercial and passenger vehicle variants with various size combinations. The next-generation BEV van will hope to build on the success of the Nissan e-NV200, which was the first all-electric commercial vehicle for the mass market when it launched in 2014.
Nissan’s chief operating officer Ashwani Gupta said: “Manufacturing our future products together with our Alliance partner brings competitive advantages for both companies and is another example of our win-win strategy. While it is too early to give any detailed product information, our customers can be sure they will have a strong Nissan identity and continue our mission of making the all-electric driving experience a viable option for everyone.”
— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in London. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_
