Nissan Give Early UK Release Date For All-Electric Leaf

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Thu, 01 Apr 2010

Nissan has revealed that its new all-electric car, the Leaf, will be available to British motorists as early as next year.

The Japanese car giant said that it expects the Leaf to go on sale in its domestic market later this year at 3.76 million yen (£27,000), and reports suggest imported versions could hit the UK market by April 2011 – nearly two years earlier than first thought.

The first Nissan Leaf will arrive in the UK next month for a series of tests and demonstrations, and Nissan claims the small five-seater hatchback will be the world’s first affordable, mass-produced electric vehicle .

British buyers can expect to pay around £20,000 for the eco-friendly car, which is capable of travelling up to 100 miles on a single recharge.

A spokesman for Nissan UK said: "We are expecting to make an announcement on UK pricing in the next couple of months. But we will look at making the Nissan Leaf affordable and competitively priced."

Earlier this month the carmaker confirmed that production of the Leaf will take place at its Sunderland plant. The factory will eventually build 50,000 cars a year starting in 2012.