Nissan Serves Up Tasty Treats With This Electric Ice Cream Van

An electric vehicle you'll actually hear coming.

Nissan electric ice cream van

Dominik Wilde

By: Dominik Wilde

Jun 21, 2019 at 10:08am ET

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Nissan has partnered with the famous Mackies of Scotland to create a rather sweet concept vehicle.

The electric vehicle pioneers and the ice cream brand have collaborated to create an all-electric ice cream van for ‘Clean Air Day’ in the UK on June 20th, which demonstrates how a 'Sky to Scoop' approach can remove carbon dependence at every stage of 'the ice cream journey'.

Going green is nothing new for Mackies, which powers its family-owned dairy farm by renewable wind and solar energy, but most ice cream vans across Britain are powered by diesel engines which stay running even when the van is stopped to power the fridges and freezers onboard.

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In fact, some UK towns and cities are even looking to ban ice cream vans – which is a preposterous thought, even for someone like me who can't eat ice cream. Nissan's new concept provides something of a solution to the impending doom of the good old ice cream van, reducing its carbon footprint while keeping kids happy and parents predictably out of pocket.

Nissan electric ice cream van

The ice cream van concept is based on Nissan's all-electric e-NV200 light commercial vehicle, which combines a zero-emission drivetrain, second-life battery storage and renewable solar energy generation for the home as well.

"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," said Kalyana Sivagnanam, managing director, Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd.

"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.

Nissan electric ice cream van

"By eliminating harmful tailpipe emissions, and increasing our use of renewable energy, we can help make this a better world for everyone."

The van's drivetrain is once again powered by a 40kWh battery, but the things that make it an ice cream van – namely a soft-serve machine, freezer drawer, and drinks fridge – are all powered by Nissan's recently-unveiled Nissan Energy Roam, which is a portable powerpack that uses lithium-ion cells recovered from early first-generation Nissan electric vehicles. The system not only provides clean power anywhere, but makes battery-powered vehicles even more sustainable.

Nissan electric ice cream van

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"We’re delighted to have worked with Nissan on this project as it’s the perfect complement to our own vision of becoming self-sustainable in renewable energy – and eliminating carbon in the journey from 'Sky to Scoop'," said Karin Hayhow, marketing director at Mackie’s of Scotland.

"At Mackie’s we’ve already shifted our dependence from fossil-fuels on to clean renewable power. We now export 4.5 times more energy to the national grid than we consume. This year we will make further progress towards our vision with the installation of an innovative new low-carbon refrigeration system. We’re proud to be a ‘climate positive’ ice cream maker."