Several members of the team from iVan, the van insurance experts, recently had the pleasure of attending the 40th Tokyo Motor Show.
Naturally, as the UK's leading van insurance specialists, we have a keen eye for any promising development in the world of vans.
Tokyo, always a Mecca for gadgetry and wizbang technological innovation, certainly didn't disappoint.
Appropriately, it was a Japanese van that caught the eye of the UK cheap van insurance leaders.
While the Nissan NV200 is still very much at the concept stage, it is filled with promise and offers hints of what the future might hold for van owners.
The NV200 could be said to be the ultimate van conversion. It somehow manages to combine a mobile office, computer, fridge, shower and considerable storage all within a reasonably short wheel base.
Central to this versatility is the pod concept. The pod literally withdraws from the van, taking with it much of the vans functional paraphernalia, leaving behind it a trendy and practical office space, which is fantastically lit by a skylight.
All the vans electrical features are powered by a generator, which feeds off several discreet overhead solar panels.
It really is a stylish and ingenious piece of engineering. Shiro Nakamura, Nissan's senior vice president and chief creative officer, explains the designer's philosophy, "A commercial vehicle has a specific job to perform, but that's no reason to design a purely rational vehicle with no warmth. In NV200, function becomes the aesthetic. NV200 is a highly efficient tool but one with a human touch."
The team at iVan were certainly impressed and only hope that a variation of the van soon goes into mass production, as it would no doubt be a pleasure to offer quality van insurance quotes to drivers of this quality vehicle.