The battery-electric Nissan LEAF has topped its own European sales record with a 33% increase in European sales in 2014 over the previous year, taking 26% of the burgeoning electric car market with 14,658 sales out of a total 56,393, according to figures from Nissan. Nissan and its partner Renault together accounted for a full 46% of the EV market in Europe in 2014.

This year the Nissan LEAF has been joined by an number of new entrants into the EV market and still emerged as the leader on a global, US and European basis. 2014 was the fourth year in a row that the electric family car has topped the electric vehicle sales charts in Europe.

In the UK, the LEAF posted 4,051 sales, more than doubling the volume sold in 2013 (1,812). The British-built Nissan LEAF holds 55% of the pure EV market there and outsells its nearest competitor by more than 2:1.

Data from our CarWings telematics system shows us that Nissan LEAF drivers drive 40% more kilometers than the European average for petrol or diesel cars, covering over 16,500 km [10,253 miles] per year. This data demonstrates that this car is the primary car for many households and that is changing the consumer perception of electric cars.

The Nissan LEAF was launched in early 2011 in the European market, followed by a revised version introduced in mid-2013 with more than 100 improvements led by customer feedback.The Nissan LEAF is built in Sunderland, UK, with batteries constructed in a new purpose-built facility on the same site. In June 2014, Nissan launched the e-NV200 light commercial vehicle, built at Nissan’s Barcelona factory, with batteries from Sunderland.