YOKOHAMA, Japan — Nissan's global electric vehicle sales jumped 10% last fiscal year, driven by growing customer demand for the zero-emission Nissan LEAF, the world's best-selling EV.
The 100% electric car posted robust growth across all the major electric-vehicle markets – Japan, Europe and the U.S. – in the fiscal year that ended March 31.
Demand is expected to keep rising as customers embrace the new, second-generation Nissan LEAF, which offers increased range and new, advanced technologies. Sales of the redesigned model, introduced in October 2017, are gaining traction in Japan and the U.S. The all-new LEAF is set to go on sale in more new markets this fiscal year, including Latin America and the Asia & Oceania region.
"The strong performance of Nissan's EV models globally is a testimony to our expertise and leadership in electric vehicle technology," said Nissan Executive Vice President Daniele Schillaci, who heads the company's electric-vehicle business. "The unprecedented response to the most advanced electric car in the world, the Nissan LEAF, contributed significantly to the robust growth of Nissan in 2017. The Nissan LEAF is the best-selling electric car in the world, with the widest reach and the greatest availability. We expect its continuous leadership in 2018."
Customers bought 54,451 Nissan LEAFs in fiscal year 2017, a 15% increase from 47,423 a year earlier. Nissan has sold more than 320,000 LEAFs since the model was first introduced in 2010. It is now available in 51 markets worldwide.
The all-new Nissan LEAF comes with a host of advanced technologies and features, including ProPILOT autonomous driving technology (ProPILOT Assist in the U.S.), ProPILOT Park and e-Pedal, as well as increased power and range.
The new Nissan LEAF will soon be launched in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Uruguay.
The new Nissan LEAF received a 5-star safety rating from the Japan New Car Assessment Program in February. The model's ProPILOT autonomous driving technology helped it score 94.8 points out of a possible 100 for occupant safety in a collision. Other features that contributed to the rating include its highly rigid body structure, six SRS airbags, seats with enforced headrests and back frames, and seat belts with pre-tensioners and load-limiting capabilities for the front and rear outboard seating positions.
The new Nissan LEAF was also named "2018 World Green Car" by the World Car Awards in March.
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About Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, INFINITI and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2017, the company sold 5.77 million vehicles globally, generating revenue of 11.9 trillion yen. On April 1, 2017, the company embarked on Nissan M.O.V.E. to 2022, a six-year plan targeting a 30% increase in annualized revenues to 16.5 trillion yen by the end of fiscal 2022, along with cumulative free cash flow of 2.5 trillion yen. As part of Nissan M.O.V.E. to 2022, the company plans to extend its leadership in electric vehicles, symbolized by the world's best-selling all-electric vehicle in history, the Nissan LEAF. Nissan's global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, manages operations in six regions: Asia & Oceania; Africa, the Middle East & India; China; Europe; Latin America; and North America. Nissan has a global workforce of 247,500 and has been partnered with French manufacturer Renault since 1999. In 2016, Nissan acquired a 34% stake in Mitsubishi Motors. Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi is today the world's largest automotive partnership, with combined sales of more than 10.6 million vehicles in calendar year 2017.
For more information about our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit nissan-global.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram,Twitter and LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube.
About Nissan in the UK
- Nissan Sunderland Plant produces the Nissan Qashqai, Juke, Infiniti Q30 and the 100% electric Nissan LEAF
- Production of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles began in 2012
- Total plant volume since 1986 stands at more than 9 million units with 80 per cent of production exported to over 100 markets worldwide
- Total investment made and announced since then is over £4.0 billion
- 507,436 units were produced at Sunderland plant in 2016
- Employment in Nissan's UK design studio (Paddington, London), technical centre (Cranfield Bedfordshire), manufacturing plant (Sunderland, Tyne and Wear) and sales and marketing operations (Maple Cross, Hertfordshire) now totals more than 8,000.
- A further 28,000 jobs in Nissan's UK supply chain and 4,000 in its UK dealer network takes the total British jobs supported by Nissan to more than 40,000
