When she chose her new Nissan Leaf, she had no idea she would become the protagonist of an important page in the history of the electric car. Yet Norwegian Maria Jansen ended up purchasing the 500,000th unit of the first 100 per cent electric vehicle for the mass market: a milestone that the Japanese carmaker celebrated on 9 September last, on the occasion of World EV Day. Almost ten years after the launch of the first model, the milestone was reached at Nissan's Sunderland plant, where more than 175,000 Leafs have been produced since 2013, 5,700 of which are on the road in Italy.

An important contribution to cutting emissions

The British production site continues to manufacture this car today to standards that ensure vehicle quality and help promote more sustainable mobility. "My husband and I decided to buy our first Leaf in 2018," explained Maria Jansen, "and it was love at first sight because, thanks to its greater range and advanced technologies, it fully meets our needs." Over the years, the Leaf has won prestigious awards around the world, including European car of the year and World car of the year in 2011, Car of the year Japan in 2011–2012, and the Green gold award at the Premio auto Europa in 2017. With more than 14.8 billion zero-emission kilometres driven since 2010, its owners have helped save harmful emissions equivalent to 2.4 million tonnes of CO2.

In recent months, the reduction of many human activities imposed by the lockdown has translated into a noticeable improvement in air quality in every corner of the globe: the result is that today 68 per cent of the European population declares itself in favour of adopting measures to prevent a return to previous levels of air pollution. For Helen Perry, head of electric passenger cars and infrastructures at Nissan in Europe, "consumers have had the chance to experience what it means to live with cleaner air and less noise pollution. Today more than ever, they are ready to take concrete steps towards a more sustainable future, and driving the Leaf is one of them."

The range and charging infrastructure continue to grow

A goal that is increasingly within reach, thanks to a broad 100 per cent electric line-up and an ever more widespread charging infrastructure network. The Nissan Leaf is now also available in the e+ version with a 62kWh battery and new connectivity technologies: a car that allows drivers to cover up to 385 kilometres on a single charge, or to complete a daily home-to-work commute of more than 75 kilometres for an entire week. Getting around with zero emissions across the country is also becoming increasingly easy thanks to the infrastructure development programme that Nissan is rolling out across its network, with the installation of 85 fast-charge points that allow Leaf customers in Italy to travel up to more than 770 kilometres on a single charge.

The agreement with Renault and the Uber platform

Meanwhile, Nissan has signed, together with Renault and Uber, a letter of intent to enable one of the world's leading shared mobility companies to electrify its offering in Europe. The agreement aims to provide an accessible offer of 100 per cent electric vehicles designed for drivers using the Uber app in European markets, particularly in the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands and Portugal: by 2025, half of the kilometres travelled via the platform in seven European capitals (Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Lisbon, London, Madrid and Paris) will be covered in zero-emission vehicles. The companies will work to develop solutions capable of accelerating the adoption of these vehicles and the development of an electric ecosystem in European cities; drivers using the Uber app will be given access to the Renault Zoe and the Nissan Leaf, as well as to future electric vehicles from both manufacturers' line-ups.