Introduction
I own a T5 campervan and use it as my daily driver for getting to work and back, but the main reason for owning a campervan is for family holidays and short breaks. I have two children under 10 and my family have enjoyed touring the South of France as well as many spontaneous long weekends away in the UK. When Hillside Leisure first told me they were launching The World’s First Electric Campervan at the Motorhome and Caravan show in Birmingham I was excited. Not only do I love everything campervan and camping but I also have a great interest in all things gadget and electric – especially when they can transport you from A to B with zero emissions! Hillside Leisure invited me to the launch to take a few photos but when they asked if I would like to take it out, I jumped at the chance!
First Impressions
Coming from a background of owning a Volkswagen Transporter, my first thoughts turned to the base vehicle – a Nissan e-NV200. It doesn’t have as much history as the VW, but if anyone was going to take a campervan into the all electric age it would have to be a high tech Japanese manufacturer and I think it’s apt that Nissan brought out an electric base van. Nissan already manufacture the popular Nissan Leaf which has gained a huge EV following and this means they already know a thing or two about designing efficient electric vehicles.
Dalbury E Electric campervan (Image: Hillside)
On first inspection of the outside I thought the Nissan had a futuristic face with the nose showing an indication of a secret compartment and the colour choice of ‘electric’ blue was spot on. Although this was a base specification, the vehicle will benefit further from colour coded bumpers and alloy wheels as options available from Hillside Leisure. There’s not much on the outside to give the “all electric” game away apart from a few chrome badges showing “Zero Emission” and part of me felt it should have a few snazzy graphics hinting at electricity to stand out and be noticed as a pioneer and trend setter – another part of me realised that most owners would probably prefer a low profile.
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