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Imagine spending your workday roaming the countryside and peeking out the window to catch scenery passing by at 60 mph, instead of wasting away like a houseplant in a cubicle. It’s an intriguing vision that we’ve seen brought to life by numerous mobile office vans, including the Brabus Business Lounge and Becker JetVan. The latest comes from Nissan and is all electric NV200 outside, modern office inside.
The Nissan NV200 van actually made its debut as a mobile workspace concept back in 2007. The new e-NV200 Work-space isn’t quite as extreme as that slide-out design, but it does have a more modern look and feel all around, starting with the 106-mile (171 km) range, all-electric e-NV200 it’s based on.
Working with UK-based design firm Studio Hardie, Nissan imagines businesses and employees capitalizing on free and low-cost charging to make the van a cost-saving office space, citing a 36 percent global rise in co-working and hot-desking spaces in 2015. It reckons you could park at a convenient charging station, say in an urban center, and use your van in place of an expensive office. If you’re not tied to a specific location, you could also use it to work remotely from somewhere you like better.
Wherever you park the Workspace, the workday might feel a little less grinding with fresh air breezing in through the open sliding side doors and split load doors. A pull-out deck even brings work outside, adding a place to take a call. For tasks that pull occupants farther away, a Brompton folding bike mounted to the rear load door provides a way to cruise around dense urban centers without having to relocate the whole office. The connection with the outdoors remains intact when the doors close thanks to a panoramic glass roof. A smartphone-controlled LED lighting system brightens things up with a variety of color options.
The e-NV’s 148 sq ft (4.2 cu m) load bay transforms into an office with two leather-and-chrome desk chairs anchored to the oak wood flooring by custom mounts. The chairs can be secured side by side, a wooden console separating them. The console has a wireless smartphone charging dock, Bluetooth speaker and slide-out refrigerator. One of the chairs can also be mounted at the fold-down desk on the side, where one has access to a touchscreen computer with wireless mouse and keyboard, along with neatly-stored office supplies.
Nissan and Hardie skip the Keurig, popular in other van conversions, and go for a much more stylish espresso machine on the wall opposite the desk. We imagine this solution will make better coffee, and it definitely adds to the decor. A mechanical lift lets it lower into the console below when not in use. An overhead storage locker houses the rest of the equipment needed to brew espresso and froth up cappuccinos.
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