Nissan’s ‘Leading Environmentally friendly Affordable Family vehicle’ (LEAF), is one of the first all-electric cars made for the mass-market. Debuting in 2010, it has been in production for over a decade and has undergone a continual process of development.

The first-generation Leaf was very high-tech for its time. Offering a range of around 120 miles with a 24 kw/h battery, it also featured phone monitoring of battery levels and remote controls for air conditioning. In 2017, the second generation introduced driver assistance and an extended range of nearly 250 miles. With over 400,000 sales in over 50 markets across the globe, the Leaf has become the world’s best-selling BEV.

Although made at the UK based Nissan factory in Sunderland, much vehicle manufacturing is beginning to take place away from western markets in countries such as India and China, where the manpower cost and collective expertise are more suited to high-tech, fast-paced developments. BEVs, just like Internal Combustion Engined vehicles, then have to be transported many thousands of miles to their final marketplace.