Commercial vehicle
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The Nissan Leaf is by far the world's best-selling electric car, but one of the ways Nissan has kept its cost down is by eliminating an active-cooling system for its lithium-ion battery pack. Now, however, its second mass-produced electric vehicle--the Nissan e-NV200 small commercial van--turns out to have a slightly different battery pack design than the Leaf. And it uses the vehicle's electric air-condiioning unit to route cool air through the pack when the electric van's battery management system decides it's warranted. DON'T MISS: Driving Nissan e-NV200 All-Electric Small Commercial Van...
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Driving Nissan e-NV200 All-Electric Small Commercial Van
One of two Nissan e-NV200 all-electric vans being used in North America was pushed into service yesterday by Portland General Electric (PGE). And we were among the first to get a turn—and a few miles—behind the wheel. What's it like? Frankly, it's a lot more like the current 2014 Nissan...
Bengt Halvorson -
Electric-Truck Maker Smith Gets $42 Million In New Investment
Smith Electric Vehicles plans to restart production, and will partner with a Hong Kong-based maker of lithium-ion batteries.
Stephen Edelstein -
Nissan e-NV200 Electric Minivan Production Starts In Spain (VIDEO)
Nissan officially started production of its second electric vehicle, the Nissan e-NV200 small van, at its assembly plant in Barcelona, Spain. The battery-electric van blends the powertrain of a Nissan Leaf battery-electric hatchback, including its in-floor battery pack and electric motor driving...
John Voelcker -
Why Little APUs Can Save Giant Amounts Of Diesel Fuel
If you've never heard of an APU, you may not be a long-haul trucker. The acronym stands for auxiliary power unit, in this case a generator or other form of generating electricity to run auxiliary services like air conditioning in the sleeper cabs of Class 8 over-the-road sleeper tractors while...
John Voelcker -
It's Not Just Cars: Diesel Tractors, Construction Equipment Clean Up Emissions Too
Agricultural and construction equipment is getting greener to meet stricter EPA standards.
Stephen Edelstein -
Walmart's concept truck features a radical aerodynamic body and turbine range extender.
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Gasoline-Fueled Diesel Truck Engine Cuts Fuel Use, Emissions
Running a diesel engine on gasoline could significantly improve efficiency, researchers say.
Stephen Edelstein -
Nissan NYC 'Taxi Of Tomorrow': Not Fast, But Great For Riders
If you're driving into rural areas to spend time with nature, there's nothing more noticeable than a bright yellow New York City taxi cab to do it in. A couple of months ago, we had a chance to test out Nissan's new "Taxi of Tomorrow" for New York City, based on its NV200 small commercial van--but...
John Voelcker -
2015 Ram ProMaster City Small Van To Compete With Ford Transit Connect
The 2015 Ram ProMaster City is the latest compact van to be sold in the U.S.
Stephen Edelstein -
Toyota's Largest, Heaviest Hybrid: Hino 195h Truck
The Toyota Prius may be the most popular hybrid model of the many Toyota sells. But the company's largest hybrid vehicle weighs more than six new 2014 Prius Liftbacks when it's fully loaded. It's the Hino 195h, a 7- to 9-ton diesel-electric Class 5 commercial truck known as a "cab-over," meaning...
John Voelcker -
Nissan e-NV200 Electric Van On Sale In Japan Next Year
The Nissan e-NV200 electric van will go on sale in Japan in mid-2014.
Stephen Edelstein -
Via says its Chevrolet Express-based plug-in van will return 100 mpg in mixed driving.
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The Missing MINI Model: Clubvan Withdrawn After Just 50 Sales
We've always liked small vans, especially those derived from wagons--as rare as wagons are these days. But it turns out that the latest small van--the 2013 MINI Clubvan--both arrived in the U.S. and departed again, pretty much before anyone noticed. We had dropped a line asking about the little...
John Voelcker -
Build Your Own Ford Transit Connect Electric: Gliders On eBay
Remember the now-defunct Ford Transit Connect Electric? It was the all-electric conversion of the Transit Connect delivery van that actually sank Azure Dynamics, which declared bankruptcy in March 2012 after sales fell short of projections. If you've always wanted one, now's your chance. But...
John Voelcker -
Could Small 2015 Chevy City Express Van Offer All-Electric Model?
This morning, Chevrolet announced that in the fall of 2014, it will start selling a small commercial van called the City Express in the U.S. and Canada. That van will be provided by Nissan, which already sells it as the NV200, with the substitution of a Chevrolet grille and badges. All-electric...
John Voelcker -
2014 Ford Transit Van: Fuel-Efficient Diesel Option Unveiled
The diesel engine for the 2014 Ford Transit van will be a five-cylinder PowerStroke model, the company announced today, extending the fuel efficiency benefits of clean-diesel powertrains into its upcoming commercial van. The new 3.2-liter PowerStroke Diesel will be the only five-cylinder...
John Voelcker -
Nissan e-NV200: Driving Nissan's Prototype Electric Minivan
Small delivery vans are a new category in the United States, but Nissan has big plans for its small NV200 delivery van--and among them are an all-electric version. The prototype Nissan e-NV200 electric minivan was one of several vehicles available to drive on the test track at Nissan's GranDrive...
John Voelcker -
When Ford launched the Transit Connect small commercial van as a 2010 model, it was a new kind of vehicle. Its closest counterpart was the Chevy Astro van, discontinued in 2005. And by 2010, the Transit Connect had been in production for almost a decade in Europe and elsewhere. Now there's an all-new Transit Connect coming to North America for 2014, built on the same global "C-segment" architecture that's already used for the Ford Focus compact sedan and hatchback, the Ford Escape crossover, the C-Max Hybrid small minivan, and other vehicles to come. The new 2014 Ford Transit Connect is being...
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2013 MINI Clubvan, Its First Truck, To Arrive This Fall
Anyone who's traveled overseas has seen the small car-based commercial vehicles common in the crowded cities of Europe and Asia. While U.S. workmen may use full-size Ford or Chevy vans, their European counterparts use smaller vans (and pickups too) based on compact or even subcompact models. But...
John Voelcker -
Azure Dynamics Bankrupt, Built Ford Transit Connect Electric
Well, that's not particularly good news: Azure Dynamics, the company that converted a handful of Ford Transit Connect small commercial vans to electric power, filed for bankruptcy on Monday. It laid off about 120 employees at a variety of locations in MIchigan, Massachusetts, Canada, and the United...
John Voelcker -
New Ford Transit Van In 2013 Will Have Diesel Engine Option
It's become a staple tactic of automotive PR operations: Trickle out one factoid at a time, well in advance of an actual vehicle, and get stories each time. So here's the news: The Ford Transit commercial van to be launched next year will have a diesel engine option. That was the sum total of the...
John Voelcker -
Ford Transit Van With EcoBoost V-6 To Replace Aged E-Series
Ford has been dropping hints since December about the Ford Transit van that will replace its ancient E-Series van, still referred to by many as the Econoline. Now the company has released a bit more information. The Ford Transit full-size van that will be introduced next year will use a 3.5-liter...
John Voelcker -
Ford F-750 Plug-In Hybrid Work Truck: Not Your Little Leaf, Sonny
Retail car buyers have to juggle a lot of factors in choosing a car, including image, family approval, and maybe-one-day-I'll-drive-across-the-country dreams. That may preclude a battery electric vehicle like a Nissan Leaf, with its 73-mile range. Commercial fleet buyers, on the other hand, look at...
John Voelcker