The Nissan Leaf has become the first electric car in history to surpass 400,000 sales. It was introduced in 2010 as the world’s first mass-market electric vehicle, at a time when electric cars were seen as a niche product and Leaf customers were mostly “early adopters.” Today, a growing number of consumers say their next car may be electric.

When it launched the first-generation Leaf, Nissan (www.nissan-global.com) pledged to become a global leader in producing and promoting vehicles with “zero tailpipe emissions”.

The company also committed itself to working with governments and utility companies to support the adoption of electric vehicles, make charging them easier and more convenient, and develop second-life uses for electric-car batteries.

Since then, Nissan has formed partnerships around the world under its Nissan Energy initiative.

Meanwhile, Leaf owners have driven their cars more than 10 billion km in total; and last year the Leaf was not only the best-selling electric vehicle in Europe but also the top-selling car of any kind in Norway.

It is available in more than 50 markets globally, and it will go on sale in six new markets in Latin America in the first half of this year, plus seven in Asia and Oceania by the end of the year.

The Nissan LEAF is built at three factories: Oppama (Japan); Sunderland (England); and Smyrna (Tennessee, USA).