nissan debuts zero-emission ice cream van that uses twitter to entice its customers

nissan has unveiled a zero-emission electric ice cream van which uses twitter to broadcast its location in order to entice customers. based on nissan’s e-nv200, the ice cream van is packed with a 40-kwh battery that allows it to cover 124 mi (200 km) on each charge.

images courtesy of nissan

it offers a solution to traditional ice cream vans, which have been criticised for producing harmful emissions by leaving their engines running to power their refrigeration equipment. rather than a traditional diesel engine, the vehicle uses a 40kwh battery which allows it to reach a 124-mile driving range between charges.

whilst the electric vehicle is a one-off concept, the project is intended to demonstrate how the whole business operations can be powered by renewables. nissan refers to this as a sky-to-scoop approach. onboard is a pair of nissan’s energy roam units, which are portable power packs built with lithium-ion cells recovered from first-generation nissan leaf electric vehicles, which have come to the end of their life.

instead of a jingle to attract customers – not always popular with parents – the concept has a smart button that generates a tweet of the van’s precise location using the global addressing service ‘what3words’. what3words divides the world into 3m x 3m locations, each with a unique three word address, enabling customers to easily find the van in nondescript locations such as a park or a seafront location.

‘ice cream is enjoyed the world over, but consumers are increasingly mindful of the environmental impact of how we produce such treats, and the ‘last mile’ of how they reach us,’ says kalyana sivagnanam, managing director, nissan motor gb ltd. ‘by eliminating harmful tailpipe emissions, and increasing our use of renewable energy, we can help make this a better world for everyone.’

project info

company: nissan

project: sky to scoop, zero-emission ice cream van