The battery-electric vehicle uses powertrain components from the LEAF, and will be offered in a choice of passenger or panel van versions, both built in the same facility as the conventionally powered NV200 on which it is based.

Nissan said it had invested €100m (£80m) in the project, with test vehicles undergoing rigorous trials to allow the production version to meet customer requirements as closely as possible. In the UK, British Gas recently completed testing the e-NV200 at its headquarters following a FedEx trial in London.

Andy Palmer, Nissan executive vice president, said: ‘e-NV200 represents a genuine breakthrough in commercial vehicles and further underlines Nissan's leadership within the electric vehicle segment. 

‘I would like to thank the Spanish and Catalonian Government for their continued support of Nissan in Spain, and congratulate the Barcelona workforce for earning the right to produce what will be an extremely important model for Nissan globally.’