One of the pioneers of the electric mobility revolution, the Nissan Leaf, is celebrating reaching the 10-year mark in Australia this year, with more than 2,000 models sold over the past decade.
“For the past 10 years in Australia – and 12 years globally – the Nissan LEAF has pioneered the transition towards zero-emission mobility,” said Guillaume Cartier, chairperson for Nissan AMIEO Region.
“When the Nissan Leaf arrived in 2010 there were many sceptics; fast forward to today and almost every automaker around the world has followed suit.
“I would personally like to congratulate the Nissan Australia team on 10 years at the forefront of electric vehicle adoption Down Under. This is only the beginning and I’m excited to see where the next 10 years takes us.”
Australia only accounts for 0.3% of total Nissan Leaf sales globally, a fact which is utterly unsurprising, given the lagging nature of Australia’s EV policies under the stagnant leadership of the Liberal Party.
And yet, Australian-delivered Leafs have travelled approximately 58.5 million kilometres – enough to have lapped the Earth more than 1,400 times, according to Nissan.
Similarly, the Nissan Leaf in Australia has saved approximately 4,096,344 litres of fuel, a combined $3.9 million in fuel costs and approximately 93 million kilograms of tailpipe CO2 emissions.
To quantify that, it would take in excess of 422,000 trees approximately a decade to store that same amount of CO2.
“The Nissan Leaf was, and is, a pioneer in the electric vehicle space, and we’re proud both of its legacy, and of everything it has done to pave the way for EV acceptance and take-up in Australia,” said Nissan Australia managing director, Adam Paterson.
“Of all the interesting facts and figures the Leaf’s 10-year history in Australia has produced, my favourite is that – parked end-to-end – the vehicles sold here would reach the very top of Mount Everest.
“It’s particularly fitting because the Leaf didn’t just climb Everest, it chose the path and set the guide ropes for others to follow. And we’re not done climbing yet, with a new-look Leaf arriving later this year, along with the ongoing work with vehicle-to-grid technology.”
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.