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2018 Nissan Leaf Starts Production In The United Kingdom

At the beginning of September, Nissan started production of the second-generation Leaf in Japan. Then the United States of America followed at the beginning of December, and now the UK welcomes the world’s best-selling electric car at the automaker’s manufacturing hub in Sunderland.
2018 Nissan Leaf production in Europe 42 photos
Photo: Nissan
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The third and final assembly plant to handle production of the Leaf is Nissan’s started production of the first-generation model in 2013, and over the years, Nissan built here the likes of the Juke, Qashqai, Infiniti Q30, and QX30. As for when European customers can expect to receive their all-new Leaf hatchbacks, first deliveries are scheduled for February 2018.

Since the original went on sale in the Old Continent, Nissan managed to sell 85,000 examples of the electrified model in this part of the world. And with each and every year that passes, it’s becoming increasingly clear that more buyers share Nissan’s vision for the future of personal transporation.

A sizable improvement over the first-generation Leaf, the newcomer is rated 378 kilometers (NEDC) on a full charge. Compatible with Europe’s CHAdeMO charging network, the Leaf can also be used as a long-distance cruiser with a little bit of planning before you hop into the driver’s seat.

For those suffering from range anxiety, yours truly included, Nissan will offer an optional battery in 2018, sporting a capacity of 60 kWh. According to Nissan’s executive VP of global sales and market, the Leaf with the bigger battery should be able to get more than 225 miles (EPA) on a full charge, which is worrying for Tesla and the base Model 3 variant.

There’s even a little bit of visual zest coming to the Leaf in the not-too-distant future, courtesy of the Leaf NISMO Concept presented at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show. Despite the go-faster looks and slight improvements in performance, the NISMO will retain the torsion beam rear suspension of the regular Leaf, which isn’t the best of setups if you’re into sporty driving.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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