Nissan unveils its second all-electric vehicle

Chief planning officer for Japan's auto giant Nissan, Andy Palmer, speaks about the company's new commercial electric vehicle 'e-NV200' at the company's headquarters in Yokohama, Tokyo on June 9, 2014. (AFP Photo / Yoshikazu Tsuno)

YOKOHAMA, Japan(AFP) -- Nissan unveiled its second all-electric vehicle on Monday, the Japanese automaker's latest push into the eco-friendly car sector despite disappointing sales.

The company said its e-NV200, a zero-emission commercial van, can drive 190 kilometres on a full charge, and doubles as an onboard power source to supply emergency lighting or power to an outside unit.

Nissan was the first in the world to sell a mass-production electric passenger vehicle, the LEAF, in 2010.

The newest vehicle, which comes with either five or seven seats, is to go on sale in some European countries before its October launch in Japan, with prices starting at 3.88 million yen ($37,900).

Retail prices could be lower after accounting for government subsidies on green-vehicle sales, Nissan added.

The van can be fully recharged in eight hours or to 80 per cent of its battery capacity in half an hour using a separate, quick-charging system.

Nissan said it hoped to log monthly sales of 200 units in Japan for its electric van, a modest target after LEAF sold just 115,000 units globally since its launch nearly four years ago.

Japan's number two automaker also has plans to release an electric vehicle for the Chinese market, but demand has been disappointing largely due to their short driving range, high prices and a lack of re-charging infrastructure.