Nissan Leaf turns five, soon to reach 200,000 sales

Nissan is celebrating five years at the forefront of the electric vehicle (EV) market with the record-breaking 100-percent electric vehicle Leaf which was launched in 2010. The Leaf can be said to have transformed the performance, practicality and public perception of EVs around the world.

The Japanese carmaker says the Leaf is as advanced and innovative today as it was five years ago. No other manufacturer has produced as many electric vehicles or covered as much distance without producing any emissions. In fact, Leaf customers just surpassed the two billion kilometre mark (1.2 billion miles), which is equivalent to 2,600 round trips from the Earth to the moon. This remarkable feat has helped keep 328,482 tons of CO from entering the air, according to a five year sales-volume based assumption.

Nissan will deliver its 200,000^th Leaf in January, officially making it the world’s most popular and successful electric vehicle. The U.S., Japan and Europe have accounted for 90 percent of total Leaf sales, with the U.S. leading the way with more than 90,000 sales, followed by Japan (50,000) and Europe (40,000).

Ever since the first Leaf rolled off the assembly line, it has bagged more than 92 awards, including being named Car of the Year in Japan and Europe, and also the prestigious World Car of the Year.

Nissan’s heritage with electric vehicles dates back 68 years with the Tama Electric Vehicle. Nissan, which has dedicated itself to in-house research and development of the EV battery, has taken it from zinc and nickel hydride to lithium-ion. The company successfully marketed the world’s first lithium-ion battery EV in 1996 with the Prairie Joy EV. The carmaker has announced that it has invested more than 500 billion JPY in EV projects, with bold plans to expand further as demand for clean, efficient and affordable electric cars continues to grow.

Interestingly, there are nearly 10,000 CHAdeMO Quick Chargers (QC) available worldwide. These QC can charge a Leaf from low battery alert to 80-percent capacity in just 30 minutes. Japan is taking the lead in developing this infrastructure with 6,000 chargers throughout the country, making it the biggest QC network in the world.

Building a new EV future – the next five years

The 2016 Leaf went on sale equipped with a new 30kWh battery in the U.S. in November that extends the miles per charge by more than 20 percent, followed by Japan (December 2015) and Europe (January 2016).

As the level of electric vehicle technology continues to increase, Nissan believes that this shift towards cleaner, more efficient zero emission vehicles will contribute greatly in improving air quality and lowering noise levels.

“EV technology will continue to be at the heart of Nissan’s product development efforts. By combining our pioneering EV technologies and other intelligence and innovations, Nissan is moving closer to a zero-emission future for car transportation. With the technologies we are creating, mobility is becoming safer, cleaner, more connected and more exciting. That’s the power of innovation.  And that’s what you can expect from Nissan,“ said Nissan president and CEO Carlos Ghosn.