Nissan has cut the price of its Leaf EV as part of a strategy to boost sales in key markets.

The Leaf is now available from £23,940 on the road when including the current £5,000 plug-in car grant.

The move comes ahead of the start of production of the car in the UK, which, with will broaden the car's line-up with a number of equipment grades, as well as offer a longer range on a full charge of up to 141 miles.

"There is no doubt that Nissan Leaf is a revolution and existing customers are passionate in their belief that zero-emission mobility is not the future, but is here now," said Paul Willcox, senior vice president, Nissan Europe.

"Nissan’s objective for Leaf has always been to bring zero-emission mobility within reach of the mass-market. Our price reduction underlines that commitment and with no price premium even more motorists will become believers."

Nissan says buyers will also benefit from low running costs, with a battery recharge costing a fraction of the cost of a tank of fuel, as well as zero road tax and is currently exempt for company car tax for another two years.

It says the number of public charging points is growing, including a network of rapid chargers which allow the Leaf drivers to charge from zero to 80% capacity in less than 30 minutes.

The Leaf comes with standard satellite navigation system incorporates Carwings, Nissan’s unique telematics system which allows an owner to control the heating and air conditioning settings and to monitor the charging process remotely via a smart phone.

Other standard equipment includes a rear-view parking camera, rapid charge capability, Intelligent Key, LED headlamps and Bluetooth connectivity. The Leaf has also achieved a five-star rating in Euro NCAP crash tests.