Promoted: The New Nissan LEAF – say hello to our record-breaker

The New Nissan LEAF is now on sale, and already breaking records. Following its launch, over 20,000 New LEAFs have already been ordered across Europe, with 13,000 orders placed before the car was in showrooms.

With one sale every 12 minutes, that makes it Europe’s fastest-selling electric vehicle. Nissan is already leading the way when it comes to clean sustainable motoring, with over 300,000 examples of the first-generation LEAF sold around the world since it first went on sale in 2010.

Built in Britain at Nissan’s Sunderland plant, the New LEAF has a high-tech lithium-ion battery with an extended range of up to 168 miles (WLTP Combined Cycle), which can be rapid-charged to 80% capacity in around 40-60 minutes.

The New LEAF is also packed with clever ProPILOT tech that takes the stress out of driving and parking, a spacious interior for five people and class-leading luggage volume.

It all serves to make the New LEAF an even better and more connected driving experience – which is probably why it was recognised as the ‘Best Electric Car’ in the 2018 What Car? Awards, and is continuing its predecessor’s sales success.

Shining bright on Electric Avenue

To launch the New LEAF, Nissan rocked down to Electric Avenue to highlight how the nearby Brixton Road is now one of London’s most polluted streets. Electric Avenue was a pioneer in the era of gas lamps, becoming London’s first electrically-lit market street in the 1880s. However, urban progress hasn’t been so kind in other respects.

Under EU rules, a location in the UK is only allowed to exceed the hourly air pollution limit 18 times in a year. Brixton Road broke it 18 times in January alone, while London’s air pollution reached the annual legal limit for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) just 30 days into the year.

In response, London authorities have announced almost £4.5m in funding for the installation of electric vehicle charging points on London’s streets. It’s a stark reminder of why zero-emissions cars, such as the New Nissan LEAF, are so important in reducing our collective impact on our local surroundings.

No fuel is good fuel

Both Nissan and What Car? are committed to helping drivers understand the real cost of motoring. True MPG is What Car?’s guide to how many miles a petrol, diesel or hybrid car really does to the gallon. Still, when it comes to fuel efficiency, no petrol. diesel or hybrid engine can beat the Nissan LEAF: it uses no combustible fuel at all.

For more information on What Car? True MPG, click here.For more information on the all-electric Nissan LEAF, click here.