Nissan's pioneering electric car, the Leaf, has certainly been the success its maker expected. The car has already garnered several awards globally and it has now set another milestone by selling the 10000th unit in Europe.
A nurse from Paris has become the 10000th Nissan Leaf customer in Europe, further cementing the ground-breaking zero emission car's status as the best-selling electric vehicle of all time.
Sylvie Lailler will be driving the Leaf on visits to patients and using it with her family at weekends. She picked up her Leaf from the Mantes-la-Jolie dealership near Paris.
The Leaf went on sale in Europe in March 2011 in a handful of markets and is now available across the region as the demand for electric vehicles increases.
Nissan Europe director of electric vehicle, Jean-Pierre Diernaz, is delighted to have hit the 10000 sales milestone: "This is an important moment for electric cars in Europe and comes at a time where we are seeing a sales momentum building for the Nissan Leaf across the region. In March we sold more than 1000 Leaf models, which was the best month since the car was launched. In April we were the second best-selling car overall in Norway."
He said: "We are seeing a shift in attitudes to electric mobility, with more people buying electric cars and the infrastructure developing at an ever increasing rate. We have hit this landmark just as we prepare to introduce the new European-manufactured Nissan Leaf with over 100 improvements into the market."
The new Leaf, which is being built at Nissan's Sunderland factory, will go on sale across Europe this month, with over 100 changes and upgrades inspired by customer feedback.
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