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Nissan Leaf EV Sales Milestone: 500,000 Units Delivered Since 2010

March 2019 is when Nissan sold the 400,000th Leaf since the first-ever example of the electric hatchback rolled off the line ten years ago. Fast-forward to the present day, and the Japanese brand celebrates 500,000 units with one eye on the past and the other on the future of EVs.
Nissan Leaf 18 photos
Photo: Nissan
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"In marking these milestones, we firstly want to express our appreciation to all the customers who have come on this electrifying journey with us," said chief exec Makoto Uchida. "By switching to electric mobility, customers have brought us all closer to a more sustainable and resilient society." The question is, is the head honcho aware of the bigger picture?

For starters, Nissan’s quality has gone down since Renault joined the party. As a result of aggressive cost-cutting policies, the electric hatchback also happens to be hampered down by a multitude of problems. What’s worse for the Leaf, none other than Nissan is actively discouraging battery replacement. Clayton Brander’s case comes to mind, with the dealer asking more than 15,000 Canadian dollars (roughly $11,665) for the job.

In light of these infamous problems, Mr. Uchida should make a few changes to his company before talking about customer appreciation. But then again, Nissan got itself in this mess under the leadership of Carlos Ghosn who escaped house arrest last year in... wait for it... a black concert gearcase.

Currently produced on three continents, the Leaf is sold in 59 markets around the world with a choice of two battery options. Over in the United States, the S Plus trim level with the 62-kWh pack has the longest range at 226 miles (364 kilometers). The United States also happens to be a lucrative market for the electric hatchback, thanks to more than 148k sales to date.

Going forward, the Ariya utility vehicle will be certain to cast a shadow on the Leaf unless Nissan comes up with a top-to-bottom redesign. Described as “the dawn of a new era,” the Ariya will be offered with two-wheel drive and a two-motor option as well as up to 300 miles (483 kilometers) of driving range.
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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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