Nissan is celebrating a  milestone as figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturing and Traders (SMMT) confirm that more than 10,000 Nissan Leafs have been sold in the UK since the vehicle came to market.

Launched in 2011, the Leaf is the best selling fully-electric car in the UK.

In the first half of 2015, 2,964 Leafs were sold in the UK, up 68.4% on the same period last year, taking the total number sold since the vehicle’s launch to 10,161.

Of those sales, the majority of units were sold in the last 12 months (51.7%) and predominantly to retail customers with almost 71.2% of Leafs registered in the retail channel.

This significant growth is reflected in the wider EV market as the benefits of switching to all-electric mobility become better known. 

James Wright, managing director, Nissan Motor (GB) said: “The UK’s electric vehicle market is growing at an extraordinary pace and while it may be too early to talk about tipping points, today’s achievement certainly indicates we’re well on our way.

“I am proud that the Nissan Leaf has played such a major role in changing perceptions of EV ownership and I am even prouder that the UK is now the number one market for Leaf sales in Europe.”