Nissan LEAF EV hits 500k Landmark as the Nissan Ariya gets set to be Nissan’s next EV success

The Nissan LEAF EV, the world’s first mass-produced electric car, passes the 500,000 mark with the landmark car rolling out of Sunderland.

The Nissan LEAF, in two generations, has now passed the 500,000 production landmark as the half a millionth car rolled out of Nissan’s Sunderland Plant this week, heading to Norway and its new owner.

The LEAF may now have been overtaken by the Tesla Model 3 as the world’s most successful electric car, but that doesn’t take away from what Nissan has achieved as the only mainstream maker delivering an affordable electric cars for years before Tesla delivered anything other than high-end luxury cars.

Helen Perry, head of electric passenger cars Nissan Europe, said:

Consumers have seen what cleaner air and reduced noise pollution feel like during lockdowns. Now more than ever, they’re looking to take positive steps towards a more sustainable future and the Nissan LEAF contributes to this efforts.

Although the Nissan LEAF isn’t going anywhere, it does look set to lose its crown as Nissan’s new electric flagship – the Nissan Ariya – arrives.

Sitting on a new platform, the Ariya ticks the Zeitgeist boxes with its SUV Coupe shape, 65kWh and 90kWh battery options, two or four-wheel drive, range up to 310 miles and power up to 389bhp.

Will the Ariya be good enough to take on the Tesla Model Y? It does look like it.