Nissan effectively pioneered electric-vehicle technology with the debut of the 2011 LEAF. Since its launch at the end of 2010, Nissan has sold about 15,000 LEAF units, globally. Eight-thousand of those units were sold in the United States, 1,000 in Europe, and the remaining 7,000 units were sold in Japan.

That said, Connell Nissan is excited to announce that Nissan has decided to begin releasing the LEAF across the world.  Pierre Loing, VP of Product Planning and Zero-Emission Business at Nissan International, says that the decision to release the all-electric hatchback in more countries is based on an estimate that says that zero-emission vehicles will account for 10-percent of global vehicles sales by the end of 2020. Even more than that, Loing has predicted that the LEAF will grab "a significant share"¹ of said global market.

With an investment of more than $4-billion, Nissan plans to set up a factory with the capacity to produce (annually) 200,000 LEAF units destined for the American market. Additionally, the automaker will set up a plant in the UK, which will produce 50,000 units/year. These plants will be ready to start production in 2013, with additional plants to manufacture batteries in Portugal and France.

Nissan plans to continually improve the technology of the LEAF to improve battery life and mileage range for drivers in a range of driving situations. Overall, the cost of owning a LEAF is significantly less than a traditional gasoline powered vehicle. Plus the electric vehicle produces no smog-forming emissions, putting it on the top of the list for the most efficient EPA certified vehicles in the United States.

Here at Connell Nissan, 2850 Harbor Blvd Costa Mesa, CA 92626, we think those are three very good reasons to stop in and learn more about the 2011 LEAF. If you're short on time, feel free to contact us via our website or give us a call at (888) 285-0751 to schedule a test drive.

Source: ¹http://www.iol.co.za/motoring/industry-news/leaf-will-be-a-player-in-world-market-1.1159350