More than 500,000 Nissan LEAF EV hatchbacks has been sold since its debut a decade ago.
Nissan has recently celebrated the 10th birthday of its all-electric Leaf hatchback. Over the last 10 years and 2 iterations, more than 500,000 of these Japanese EVs have been delivered to customers worldwide, including a not-insignificant number in Malaysia too.
While many might credit Tesla to be the new-age EV pioneer, this small battery-powered Nissan has also done a lot in its own right to bring all-electric motoring to the masses. Proof of this lies in the fact that, only until very recently, the LEAF was the world’s top selling plug-in electric car.
Selling in 59 markets worldwide, over 148,000 LEAFs have been sold in the US, with Japan and Europe being the other major LEAF buyers. Norway especially has particularly taken to this all-electric Nissan hatchback, with over 60,000 delivered over to the Scandinavian nation in the last 10 years.
Touted by Nissan to be the world’s first mass market EV, the LEAF was, in many instances, the first viable production EV to be sold in these places. In Malaysia for instance, the LEAF was one of the first EVs to arrive here, and is still one of only a handful of all-electric vehicles that can be purchased through official channels here.
According to the Japanese automaker, LEAF drivers worldwide have cumulatively driven their Nissan EVs over approximately 10 billion miles (16 billion kilometres). All this fully-electric, zero tailpipe-emission driving has thereby prevented more than 3.5 billion pounds (2.5 billion kilograms) of CO2 emissions from entering the atmosphere.
Moving forward, Nissan aims to continue growing its EV lineup, with its aim to sell 1 million EVs by 2023. Its new Ariya all-electric SUV has already be slated for launch in July 2021.
Nevertheless, judging by the fact that over 100,000 new LEAFs were sold in the last year and a half alone, the Leaf will still be a major player in Nissan’s electrification ambitions of the future.
PRESS RELEASE: Nissan today celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Nissan LEAF and the delivery of 500,000 LEAF vehicles since the model was first introduced. More than 148,000 have been sold in the United States.
“In marking these milestones, we firstly want to express our appreciation to all the customers who have come on this electrifying journey with us,” said Nissan President and CEO Makoto Uchida. “By switching to electric mobility, customers around the world have brought us all closer to a more sustainable and resilient society.”
Produced at plants in the U.S. Japan, and the U.K., the Nissan LEAF is sold in 59 markets around the world. As its battery capacity, performance and efficiency have continued to improve, the LEAF has evolved from a city commuter to a versatile car that meets a wide range of customer needs and lifestyles.
Beyond mobility, the Nissan LEAF has contributed to society by helping power homes and businesses and providing emergency electricity during natural disasters. Alongside Nissan’s other electrified powertrain vehicles, the LEAF continues to show the way to a sustainable, resilient, zero-emission society.
Benefits of electric mobility
From the pioneering first version in 2010 to the LEAF PLUS introduced in 2019, the 500,000 customers who have chosen the LEAF have helped drivers around the world realize the benefits of electric vehicles, both in terms of sustainability and in their daily lives.
Nissan estimates that LEAF owners have driven their cars approximately 10 billion miles (16 billion kilometers) cumulatively, worldwide, preventing more than 3.5 billion pounds (2.5 billion kilograms) of CO2 emissions from entering the atmosphere.
Today’s customers also expect electric cars to make their daily lives more enjoyable. Nissan is developing a growing lineup of advanced electrified cars and technologies that meet a wide range of needs and help customers feel more confident, connected and excited.
In July this year, Nissan unveiled the Nissan Ariya all-electric crossover. The Ariya embodies Nissan’s strengths in electric vehicle development and features the latest in Nissan Intelligent Mobility technologies and design.
The Ariya is a key model in the company’s Nissan NEXT transformation plan, under which Nissan plans to sell 1 million electrified vehicles annually by 2023, including EVs and vehicles with e-POWER electrified powertrains.
“Nissan couldn’t have reached this milestone without the great contribution over these 10 years from our dedicated employees all around the world, and from our valued suppliers and dealers,” Uchida said. “Together, we’re working to broaden the options for EV and electrified vehicle adoption so that more people can enjoy the benefits of electric driving.”
