Nissan LEAF beats them all

We plan to have a very big year when it comes to putting EV cars under the microscope here at EFTM, but more on that later. For those who have embraced the inevitability of their arrival right through to the extreme sceptics, swallow this one.

The all-electric Nissan LEAF is now the number one selling car in Norway, period. Norway has a population of 5.3 million and 12,303 LEAF’s were purchased in 2018. Now it should be noted that Norway is an oasis for EV cars, with a raft of incentives in place to buy one. Whereas Australia at present is still somewhat of a backwater.

But the Nissan LEAF is also the best-selling EV in Europe with 40,699 drifting out of dealerships in 2018. Since 2011 it’s also held the number one EV crown globally with 380,000 shipped.

“This latest announcement marks the start of a very optimistic 2019 for our EV range,” said Nissan Europe’s senior vice president, sales and marketing, Ken Ramirez.

“The fact that the Nissan LEAF is still the default choice for EV buyers in Europe is a testament to its all-round capability as the icon of Nissan Intelligent Mobility – especially with the ever-growing range of competitors.

“We can celebrate standout sales success with Norway as an example, as it highlights how the Nissan electric ecosystem has established itself as a sustainable lifestyle choice in a relatively short space of time.

“With the range now stronger than ever, we look forward to welcoming more customers to EV ownership in the coming months.”

I’ve driven the Nissan LEAF and while it’s not for me, I can understand the popularity. We score the new LEAF this year, price and charging infrastructure will be crucial to its and others success.