Nissan has just reached an important milestone in the history of the electric car, although it probably will not be alone for long. The Leaf has become the first EV that exceeds 400,000 sales, crossing that mark just over eight years since its debut in December 2010. Demand has also accelerated during that period. The company was celebrating 200,000 sales in December 2015. In other words, about half of all Leaf owners bought their car in the last three years.
About 90 percent of those sales were concentrated in just three countries. The United States opened the way with 90,000 Leafs, while Japan, the country of origin of Nissan, bought 50,000 cars and Europe obtained 40,000 in total.
The company may not want to feel too comfortable with its crown. Tesla sold 140,000 models 3 in 2018, and that was before the $ 35,000 entry model hit the market. Nissan will not necessarily complain, however. More competition means that the Leaf was a smart bet, and that future Nissan EVs will probably work out well. In its current form, the history of the Leaf could easily be considered a reference for the acceptance of EV in general. It started as a machine for the first users willing to withstand a limited range and a shortage of chargers, but it evolved into a completely conventional car that can easily handle typical city driving.
Source: Nissan