Nissan Leaf to reach UK dealers in Q1 2011

 Nissan has confirmed that the all-electric Leaf, which will be built from 2013 in Sunderland, will reach UK dealerships during the first quarter of 2011.

Mass produced
The Leaf, which will have a 100 mile range, is a significant model as it will be the first mass produced electric car.

Paul Willcox, Nissan’s UK managing director, hinted the car’s pricing would be pitched against similar sized C-segment five-door models and a decision over a separate charge for the battery is likely to be announced at a later date.

UK production
With UK production of the Leaf due to start in early 2013 the initial models to reach UK dealerships will be imported from Japan where production starts later this year.

The production of the Leaf and the batteries represents a total investment of more than £420m in the Sunderland Plant and is expected to maintain about 2,250 jobs at Nissan and across the UK supply chain. The investment will be supported by a £20.7m Grant for Business Investment (GBI) from the UK government and a proposed finance package from the European Investment Bank of up to £197.3m.

Battery plant
The announcement follows Nissan’s decision last year to make the Sunderland plant its European centre for lithium-ion battery production. A new battery production plant will begin to be constructed in April and will have the capacity to produce 60,000 units a year for both Nissan and Renault from 2012.

Sunderland will have the capacity to build 50,000 Leafs a year. It will be built alongside the recently unveiled Juke compact crossover car, which enters production in August 2010. It also produces the Qashqai, Qashqai +2, Note and Micra.

Nissan Leaf at a glance
World’s first mass produced electric car
Five-seater C-segment hatchback
Powered by an 80kW electric motor
Charges to 80 per cent of capacity in under 30 minutes
Real-world range: 100 miles/160 km
Top speed 90mph/140 km/h