Nissan LEAF: First UK deliveries

Nissan has delivered the first two Nissan LEAF to customers in the UK today. Waltham Abbey dealer Glyn Hopkin was the delivering dealer.

It’s taken a while, but Nissan has finally got the Nissan LEAF on the road in the UK, with the first two customers picking up their cars this morning.

Nissan dealers Glyn Hopkin in Waltham Abbey had a pair of nice, shiny, black Nissan LEAFs all prepped and ready to go this morning to the first two UK customers – DJ Mark Goodier and electronics engineer Richard Todd.

Mark Goodier – once a Radio 1 key player but now out to pasture at Smooth FM – was the first to drive off in his LEAF, subsequently commenting on Twitter that “…I had a great smooth drive into London today”.

Richard Todd – a silicon chip designer – was the first to order a LEAF in the UK when order books opened last year. He rather optimistically opted to have a solar panel on the roof of his black LEAF, and he drove to Waltham Abbey to collect the LEAF in his Prius. Could Nissan have made this guy up?!

We sincerely hope both Mark Goodier and Richard Todd get huge pleasure out of their new cars. And as long as they only intend to use the LEAF in town they will be able to enjoy what will be remembered as a golden age for electric cars. Perhaps the only age for electric cars.

For once a measly 8k electric cars are sold the Government subsidy will end. Then the LEAF will cost buyers over £30k. And when – or should we say if – electric cars ever make up more than just an insignificant statistical blip in comparison to the number of cars sold each year, electricity for cars will start to be taxed just like oil-based fuel.

Then it’ll be interesting to see how desirable an over-priced electric car with a minuscule range is.