All-electric Nixon

16 April 2024

Nixon Hire has introduced fully electric welfare vans to its hire fleet aimed at users who need to reduce their carbon footprint.

The adapted Ford Transit vehicles are powered by two lithium batteries and have a range of up to 140 miles. An EV (electric vehicle) charging point is incorporated along with a 16A connector for mains charging.

Two 150W solar panels are mounted in the roof to top up the van’s leisure battery which runs items like the microwave and hot water boiler.

Facilities include a canteen area, a unisex toilet cubicle and USB charging points. Motion sensing PIR (passive infrared) LED lights are incorporated throughout.

For safety, if the 16A charger is connected and the handbrake is released with the ignition on, an audible alert warns the driver that the vehicle is still plugged in and that they should stop immediately. The van cannot be driven if the charger is connected.

If the vehicle’s sliding side door is open for 15 minutes or longer, the heating automatically switches off to save energy. All amenities have timers to ensure equipment is not accidentally left switched on.

Once the leisure battery capacity is at 20% or lower, the system goes into ‘load shedding’ mode, switching off any high powered items such as the microwave to save battery life.