Inovev forecasts 35,000 units per year of the new Nissan Leaf
- The Nissan Leaf (C-segment sedan) was one of the first mass-produced battery electric vehicle, starting in 2010, two years before the Renault Zoé. It was initially launched in Japan. Unfortunately, the Japanese market was not very demanding for this type of vehicle, so the Leaf did not exceed 27,500 units produced per year during the first two years. At the time, it was only produced and sold in Japan. Nissan then decided to export it from Japan and then partially relocate it by producing it in Europe and the United States from 2012.
- As the American market was not in great demand for battery electric vehicle either, the production volume of this model never exceeded 32,500 units per year and declined from 2015 to an average of 10,000/12,000 units per year.
- It is still Europe the first market for the Leaf, driven by the European Commission's directive requiring carmakers to sell only battery electric vehicles by 2035.
- The British plant in Sunderland, which produces it, managed to produce 329,000 units (cumulative total) between 2012 and 2024 (compared to 202,000 in the USA and 193,000 in Japan). The model that was discontinued in 2024 has just been replaced by a brand new generation derived from the Nissan Ariya SUV (also a battery electric model, larger than the Leaf) which has not been very successful. The new Leaf is however shorter than the Ariya, since it measures 4.35 m in length instead of 4.60 m, and shorter than the old Leaf (4.49 m). It is equipped with a 214 hp (157 kW ) electric motor associated with a 75 kWh NMC battery allowing a range of 600 km or a smaller 52 kWh NMC battery allowing a range of 434 km. Inovev forecasts 35,000 units of the new Nissan Leaf per year in Sunderland.