Nissan Townstar - Review of the Urban Electric Van

Thanks to the kindness of Nissan Sales Central & Eastern Europe, we had the pleasure of testing the new Nissan Townstar. For those who don't know, it's a fully electric delivery van.

Let's start with a few technical details.

The electric drive consists of a 90-horsepower motor and a 45 kWh battery. The charging time is about 7.5 hours using a standard 7 kW charger or about 50 minutes using a 50 kW fast charger.

We drove a very practical version - a configuration with two seats in the front and a full cargo compartment that provided comfortable driving for two people and a 3.3m³ luggage compartment. This version is great for those who need a mobile office and at the same time the ability to transport larger items. We also tested the luggage compartment by putting in a large and cumbersome piece of luggage. Normally, we would choose a Renault Master because it would be easy to throw our luggage into it and not worry about arranging it - but here, the Townstar did the job without any problems.

Importantly, Nissan also offers a 7-seater version, which allows large families to travel comfortably and economically. From the driver and passenger's point of view, the cabin is comfortably configured - everything is within reach. And there are plenty of storage compartments, with a total capacity of 49 liters. A cool solution is the "factory" phone holder mounted on the right or left side of the gauges and the wireless charging pad in the center console.

An additional advantage is the soundproofing of the cabin, which allows for calm conversations with clients. Surprisingly, the Bose sound system works really well for a delivery van, and combined with a 7-inch touchscreen multimedia station, it works really well. Charging, although it takes longer than refueling a gasoline vehicle, is also quite pleasant. About 50 minutes is enough to charge the battery from about 20% to 80%. We mainly charged the car in shopping malls, so during charging we could do our daily shopping.

Time for a summary of the city ride.

Although the available parameters show the lowest energy consumption at 17.4 kWh/100 km, we couldn't go below 22 kWh - our tester has a heavy foot. As a result, we achieved a range of 180 km in typical Warsaw city driving conditions, i.e. in one big traffic jam.

The car drives great and accelerates instantly and dynamically. Initially, it seems that the pillars at the front windshield are unusually wide, but you can get used to it, although choosing thinner pillars or less roof stiffness may be even easier for many people. In the Townstar, the "B" gear in the three-stage energy recovery scale serves a function similar to the e-pedal - a very practical function. The car is agile and maneuverable, making it comfortable to park in both shopping malls and standard parking lots. An additional pleasure is the legal use of bus lanes and free parking in paid parking zones.

Weekend getaway or how we took the Townstar on a trip.

We planned a 230 km route to our destination. In reality, we couldn't complete it without charging. But! The weather we encountered was dreadful - snow, rain, strong wind, and cold.

So - not sparing on heating, cruise control, navigation, decibels, and all other available amenities consuming electricity - we made one 30-minute stop to recharge because charging was scarce near our destination, and it's always better to have some safe reserve. Thanks to this decision, we had the extraordinary pleasure of meeting another member of the Nissan family - Ariya - at the charging point and exchanging observations and driving experiences with its driver.

Because our luggage was large and cumbersome but not overly heavy, the car was seriously affected by strong crosswinds. Additionally, halfway through the journey, the front bumper, where the front camera is located, froze, causing the cruise control to stop working. But as we mentioned earlier, the weather was exceptionally unfavorable. The last few kilometers of our journey were on a snow-covered forest road, but even there, the car coped without any problems.

The return journey turned out to be much better. With the battery charged to 90% - from a regular socket overnight - we completed the entire route. Cruise control and lane assist are solid solutions, tested by us in various ways - we now know that the car "shouts" when we take our hands off the steering wheel. Overall, on the trip, we achieved an average consumption of about 23.5-24 kWh/100 km.

Conclusion

Nissan Townstar Electric is a quite efficient, environmentally friendly, and innovative van that can be driven comfortably and economically in the city. At the same time, it is large and functional enough to deliver materials to customers or take the family on a weekend trip out of town.

See more EV reviews and EV content here: VivaDrive Blog