Clean Air Day: Nissan unveils prototype for zero-emission ice cream van

The car giant has created a prototype vehicle based on its e-NV200, its own fully-electric light commercial van, and has worked with ice cream producer Mackie's of Scotland on the concept.

The ice cream producer powers its own dairy farm using wind and solar energy.

Existing ice cream vans have been criticised for the diesel engines they keep running to power refrigeration equipment - engines which produce harmful emissions such as black carbon - and often running in close proximity to groups of children.

Nissan says that in contrast, its prototype uses a battery to power its motor, while the on-board ice cream equipment is powered by the automotive firm's new Energy ROAM system, a portable power pack which gathers energy from a solar panel on the van's roof and can also be recharged via a mains supply.

Kalyana Sivagnanam, Nissan Motor GB's managing director said: "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.

"This project is a perfect demonstration of Nissan's Intelligent Mobility strategy, applying more than a decade of EV experience and progress in battery technology to create cleaner solutions for power on the go - in ways customers might not expect.

"We can help make this a better world for everyone."