Nissan Interstar-e: Powerful under electricity

Back to the roots - that's what it means for Nissan in nomenclature. Thus, the twin brother of the new Renault Master is now once again called Interstar and sheds the cryptic NV400 designation. In the justified hope that this name will be easier to remember, and it might be worth remembering indeed. Because visually, the Interstar comes out on top even over the already spectacularly designed Master - and together, they make the competition in the van segment suddenly look quite old. Proudly, the stately van with its distinctive black grille is supposed to make its owner feel, claim the design responsible parties at Nissan. And this in a segment that is predicted to see further growth, keyword online retail.

Making the competition look old is especially true in terms of aerodynamics, where they wanted to design a box as streamlined as possible with the "Aerovan" concept. A lot of fine-tuning in the aerospace industry's wind tunnel has given the Interstar a 20 percent less attackable frontal area (SCx), which in any case is supposed to contribute to good fuel economy: the manufacturer claims 7.4 l/100 km for the most fuel-efficient of the four diesels (105/130/150/170 HP; 330/350/360/380 Nm). Shifting is done with a six-speed box or a nine-speed ZF automatic. Building on a completely new and primarily electric multi-drive platform instead of retrofitting a diesel is considered a clear advantage at Nissan. It almost goes without saying that the electric version's speed is limited to 120 km/h, as consumption increases exponentially above that.

Lies well in the wind

The streamlining particularly benefits the front-wheel-drive electric version simply called Interstar-e. With an 87 kWh lithium-ion battery (like the new Renault Scenic), the more powerful 105 kW electric version should cover up to 460 kilometers, corresponding to an impressive consumption of 21 kWh/100 km for this category. The slightly less powerful 96 kW version (also 300 Nm) with a 40 kWh battery, which should suffice for many delivery drivers, should manage around 200 kilometers. However, first tests are awaited. Nicolas Tschann, Nissan's director of light commercial vehicles (LCV) in Europe, considers the cycle a valid benchmark against the competition - and in that respect, Nissan is ahead with Renault. Thus, they are by no means ashamed of the "badge engineering" but rather take advantage of it, as Tschann mentioned in a conversation with LOGISTRA.

Significantly Higher Charging Power

The high formal charging power is already guaranteed: The Interstar-e optionally charges with direct current (DC) at up to 130 kW on the vehicle side in the fender, allowing it to replenish 229 kilometers or go from 15 to 80 percent in half an hour, and with the smaller battery, 180 kilometers. A 50 kW DC charger comes standard. With AC, it can be charged at 11 kW relatively quickly, while the standard 7.4 kW should meet many fleet customers' overnight charging needs. In the best-case scenario, charging with alternating current takes only four hours from 10 to 100 percent. 

The new van not only draws power quickly but also trailers: Up to 2,500 kg trailers are allowed. In the cargo space, which ranges from 10.8 to 22 cubic meters – there is no longer an L1H1 version, but there is an L3H3 – up to 1.6 tons can be loaded in the electric version, given a permissible weight of four tons, with a permissible total towing weight of 5.5 tons. The new Euro6e diesel with VTG charger offers a payload of two tons, achieving up to 6 tons of total towing weight as a 3.5-ton truck. This makes the Interstar a potential replacement for the light front-steer truck NT400. Additionally, a rear-wheel-drive version with a total weight of 4.5 tons is planned. The body of the Interstar, measuring between 5.68 to 6.31 meters in length and 2.5 to 2.75 meters in height, is much stiffer thanks to high-strength steels, yet barely more than 50 kg heavier compared to the Master. Furthermore, there is a cargo area that is ten centimeters longer, a sliding door that is four centimeters wider, seamlessly closing with the partition, and thanks to a shorter wheelbase, there is a turning circle that is 1.5 meters smaller.

Google Takes the Lead

In the interior, the setup largely carries over from the spacious, comfortable, and connected design of the French siblings, emphasizing durable seat covers and materials. Google largely takes control, which isn't necessarily a bad thing when it comes to navigation and voice assistance. The same goes for safety features, where an active emergency brake, driver fatigue warning system, and tire pressure monitoring system are standard. A trailer sway control system ("Trailer Sway Assist") is also available. There is also pride in the One-Box brake system, which maintains consistent braking performance regardless of the vehicle's weight. Additionally, the reaction time for emergency braking is said to have been halved compared to previous models, and the recuperation performance in the EV model is expected to be at a high level.