An electric utility in Portland, Ore., has begun testing Nissan's e-NV200 cargo van to determine its viability as a commercial vehicle, Nissan has announced.

Portland General Electric has assigned the vehicle to an an underground crew in its fleet as a replacement for a larger diesel-powered van. The utility will deploy the van for a six-week trial.

FedEx is also testing the e-NV200 in the Washington, D.C., area.

Nissan targeted the Portland area for a testing ground due to the popularity of the LEAF in Oregon, said Toby Perry, Nissan's director of EV marketing.

"Oregon has been a top-five market for Nissan LEAF sales in the U.S. due to proactive policies at the state level to encourage EV adoption, as well as robust charging infrastructure championed by the state and others like PGE," said Perry. "If we determine that e-NV200 fits into the U.S. commercial vehicle market, we expect that Portland would be a leading driver for sales as well."

Other possible markets for the e-NV200 include California and Georgia. The van goes on sale this summer in Europe and Japan.