Nissan is one of the most important car manufacturers in UK. The Japanese brand not only produces its current most popular model here, the Qashqai, but also the all electric Leaf, which is also the best sold electric car in the world. No wonder they have reached a very important milestone already.

Three years after Nissan introduced electric vehicle and battery manufacturing to Europe, the 50.000th European-built Nissan Leaf has rolled off the production line. Manufactured in Nissan’s plant in Sunderland, UK, it is the first time a European carmaker has built 50,000 electric vehicles (EVs) and the batteries which power them.

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The silver, Tekna grade Nissan Leaf rolled off the production line last week and is destined for a customer in France. European-built Nissan Leaf`s are currently exported to 23 global markets covering Western Europe and other destinations as diverse as Argentina, Iceland, Israel and Taiwan.

Five years ago, the Nissan Leaf was the first mass-market electric vehicle to go on sale and it remains the best-selling EV of all time with almost 220,000 vehicles sold worldwide.

Nissan Leaf and battery manufacturing was launched in the UK in 2013 and supports over 2,000 jobs at Nissan and in its UK suppliers. 2016 is shaping up to be a landmark year for Leaf, with the extended-range 250km Leaf introduced to Europe and the announcement that Nissan’s future generation batteries are confirmed for production in Sunderland.