Nissan unveils a solar-powered, zero-emissions ice cream van

To celebrate the U.K.’s Clean Air Day, Nissan has unveiled an impressive electric ice cream van that generates zero emissions while serving up a variety of cool and refreshing ice cream flavors on the go. The van is a fully electric vehicle installed with two Nissan Energy ROAM power packs and rooftop solar panels in order to power the van as well as the on-board equipment that helps keep the scrumptious ice cream nice and cold.

There’s nothing like a cold ice cream cone to help cool off on a hot summer’s day. But the problem with most conventional ice cream trucks is that they still run on harmful diesel fuel. Additionally, many older truck models must keep the engines running to power the ice cream freezers, emitting harmful carbon dioxide emissions with each scoop, all day long.

Now, with its new design for a zero-emissions prototype, Nissan is hoping to revolutionize the mobile ice cream sector by providing an alternative for vendors looking to reduce their carbon footprint.

Based on the e-NV200, Nissan’s 100 percent electric LCV model, the prototype was built using lithium-ion cells recovered from first-generation Nissan electric vehicles. The van’s motor runs on a 40kWh battery, while the ice cream equipment is powered by Nissan’s portable power pack, ROAM.

To bring its dream of creating an entirely sustainable ice cream truck to fruition, Nissan partnered with Scottish ice cream maker, Mackie’s — a company that uses wind and solar power to make its delicious ice creams. As a result, not only is Nissan able to provide a better, more eco-friendly way of selling ice cream, but it is also able to provide a fully eco-friendly system, meaning that the ice cream is green from “sky to scoop.”