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The Nissan LEAF’s run of award
success has continued, picking
up the Ultra Low Carbon Award in
the What Car? Car of
the Year Awards 2011.
The What Car? award win
builds on an already great
reception with the 100% electric
vehicle winning worldwide
praise, including picking up the
2011 Car of the Year.
What Car?
Editor-in-Chief Steve Fowler
said: “The Nissan LEAF is one of
the most exciting new cars we’ve
tested in recent years and
that’s not only because of the
technology involved. It actually
stacks up as a sensible family
buy with plenty of space, lots
of gizmos, good build quality
and, of course, low running
costs.”
Paul Willcox, Managing Director
at Nissan Motor (GB) Ltd, said:
“We are very pleased that
What Car? has recognised
the Nissan LEAF’s pioneering
qualities. It represents another
step in the acceptance of fully
electric cars into the
mainstream and the LEAF’s other
award wins show that it has
all-round appeal.”
Nissan research has found that
80% of daily driving in Britain
is below 30 miles, and with the
LEAF’s ability to carry five
passengers up to 109 miles, it
marks a significant development
in the environmentally-friendly,
cost efficient options available
for motorists.
Customers have been able to
pre-order the Nissan LEAF since
September last year ahead of
deliveries from March 2011. The
LEAF is priced at £23,990 OTR
including the government’s EV
grant.
100% ELECTRIC NISSAN LEAF PICKS
UP EUROPEAN CAR OF THE YEAR 2011
TROPHY
The trophy recognising the
revolutionary Nissan LEAF as
Europe’s Car of The Year 2011
was handed over to Nissan Motor
Co.’s President and CEO Carlos
Ghosn in a special ceremony held
today (24/01/2011) at the
Pavillion Gabriel in Paris.
To
win the award, the 58 CoTY
members – leading motoring
journalists from 23 European
countries – placed Nissan LEAF
ahead of six conventional new
cars on the shortlist. It is the
first time in CoTY’s 47-year
history that the annual award
has been won by an electric
vehicle.
“I
am convinced that we will see
other electric cars named Car of
the Year in the future.
But when we do, we must always
remember that only one can be
the first.
And that is why Nissan LEAF Car
of the Year 2011 is – and will
remain – so very special,” said
Håkan Matson, president of the
CoTY jury, speaking at the
ceremony.
“It is a great honour for Nissan
LEAF to be recognised as the
European Car of the Year – the
first all-electric car to
receive this distinction. Like
previous Car of the Year
winners, Nissan LEAF is an
appealing, competitive car, with
no compromise on style,
features, safety, performance or
handling. Yet it stands apart as
an innovative car that reflects
a clear vision of the future of
transportation – a vision of
sustainable mobility,” said
Ghosn after receiving the
trophy.
Pre-orders for Nissan LEAF have
reached more than 27,000 units
globally. The zero-emission car
is currently built in Japan, but
will also be manufactured in the
United States and United Kingdom
when new manufacturing
facilities there open in late
2012 and early 2013
respectively. Deliveries to
individual customers in Japan
and the US began in December. In
Europe, deliveries will start
shortly to Portugal, the
Republic of Ireland, the United
Kingdom and the Netherlands
followed by more markets later
in the year. |
