Japanese automotive company Nissan Motor has unveiled its new Nissan e-NV200 electric taxi in Barcelona, Spain.
With this move, Barcelona is the first city in the world to commit to the implementation of the zero-emission vehicle as publicly accessible transport.
Nissan has entered into a memorandum of understanding with Barcelona City to promote the use of electric vehicles as taxis and as delivery vehicles.
The rollout of the new e-NV200 100% electric taxi version will be led by Barcelona, followed by other big cities around the world. The new e-NV200 100% electric taxi version will begin production from mid-2014 at the Zona Franca plant in Barcelona with an investment of EUR100m. The investment is expected to create over 700 new jobs.
The Barcelona factory will be the sole global manufacturing plant for the e-NV200 and vehicles will be exported worldwide to a number of international markets.
The e-NV200 , which is second vehicle to be introduced to Nissan's line-up of zero-emission vehicles, is based on the NV200 van, which is also built in Barcelona. It combines the architecture of the NV200 with the electric drivetrain from the Nissan LEAF.
The company will also deploy charging infrastructure in Barcelona by providing CHAdeMO quick chargers as part of this agreement which will see over 1,200 installations across Europe by March 2014. Besides this, the City Council will provide specific places for loading and unloading goods and to enable electric vehicle charging points.
Nissan president and CEO Carlos Ghosn said that the company applauds Barcelona city for making this clear commitment to integrating the revolutionary Nissan e-NV200 electric vehicle into the city's taxi fleet.
"We are delighted that the city where we will build this new vehicle is leading the way in promoting clean transportation for the benefit for all its citizens and visitors. The e-NV200 is a revolutionary product that will make zero emission taxis and goods delivery vehicles a reality in cities across the globe from next year," Ghosn added.
