Nissan has announced its popular LEAF model has now exceeded the 250,000 production count 11 years and nine months since it entered the UK market. 

To celebrate the achievement, its Sunderland plant - where the LEAF has been built for over a decade - is using an example to power their 32-foot Christmas tree and accompanying reindeer displays. This has also been done as an exercise to illustrate the LEAF’s ability to act as a mobile power plant. 

This is known as vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability and is seen as an effective way to enable owners to more effectively manage their energy distribution. It allows them to retain electricity in the car’s battery, and means they can distribute it back to a compatible source when necessary. 

Alan Johnson, the Vice President of Manufacturing at Nissan’s Sunderland plant said: “Passing a quarter of a million Nissan LEAF is a tremendous milestone, and demonstrates the electric vehicle manufacturing expertise we have built up at our plant over the past decade.

“This year we have completely electrified the plant’s line-up with the new versions of Qashqai and Juke launched, so lighting up the Christmas tree with our original EV is a spectacular and appropriate way to end 2022.”

Since its introduction to dealerships in the UK market in March 2011, the Leaf has seen a stable rise in yearly European sales figures. 2021 was its second best sales year with 33,772 being shifted - only bettered by the 38,740 sold in 2018 (as per Carsalesbase). The second generation LEAF is now four years into its production lifespan, with prices for a brand new example starting at around £28,940.