Nissan LEAF Battery Reliably Outperforms Cynics, Critics and Alternatives

• Five years on, Nissan reports 99.99% battery success rate across Europe
• More reliable than a petrol or diesel engine, according to industry averages
• Nissan LEAF is the world’s best-selling all-electric car, with over 165,000 sold globally

ROLLE, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Five years and more than 35,000 European sales since the launch of its all-electric LEAF, proprietary data released by Nissan for the first time shows that 99.99 percent of its battery units remain entirely fit for purpose.

The failure rate of the battery power unit is less than 0.01 percent - or just three units in total - a fraction of the equivalent industry-wideⁱ figure for defects affecting traditional combustion engines.

To prove the long-term reliability of the battery technology, Nissan tracked down a rather infamous early model, whose owner is still enjoying fault-free motoring in her LEAF three years on: http://youtu.be/6V1bJJwJhEg

Electric vehicle advocate and presenter of online TV channel Fully Charged, Robert Llewellyn commented: “This comes as no surprise. There was a lot of apprehension about electric technology in the beginning, but with sales climbing month-on-month I struggle to see how these myths continue to be regurgitated today.”

The Nissan LEAF has smashed its own sales record with a 33 percent increase in sales in 2014 over the previous year, taking more than a quarter of the burgeoning electric car market with 15,098 sales.

Jean-Pierre Diernaz, Director of Electric Vehicles for Nissan in Europe, comments: "The facts speak for themselves. The rate of battery faults in our vehicles is negligible, even the most ardent critic cannot argue with that.

“The battery technology is just part of our success story. With over 165,000 customers globally, it’s clear that we’re not the only people who are thrilled by the success of this state-of-the-art technology.”

With just three main components – the on-board charger, inverter and motor – the Nissan LEAF is also 40 percent cheaper to maintain compared to petrol or diesel-powered alternatives.

The Nissan LEAF launched over four years ago in 2010, as one of the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicles. It is now the best-selling electric vehicle in history, with over 165,000 LEAF vehicles sold globally, more than 35,000 of which have been sold in Europe; clocking up an impressive one billion kilometres worldwideⁱⁱ.

-ENDS-

ⁱAnalysis by independent British insurance specialist, Warranty Direct, indicates that 0.255% of vehicles on its books had experienced an issue that led to an immobilisation of the internal combustion. Common problems ranged from leaks in the coolant system and damage to the head gasket to engine flooding. Data from Warranty Direct is based on analysis of a basket of 50,000 cars aged 3-6 years old over a five year period

ⁱⁱTotals based on Nissan's Global Data Center (GDC) as of 30.09.2014 (UTC). The average is gathered only from Nissan LEAF vehicles registered with CarWings, approximately 54% of total sales. Data used is from 01.04.14 - 30.09.14

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR IMAGES GO TO http://www.nissanpress.co.uk/ 

ends…

Notes to Editors
About Nissan in the UK

• Nissan Sunderland Plant produces the Nissan Qashqai, Note and Juke and the 100% electric Nissan LEAF
• Production of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles began in 2012
• Total plant volume since 1986 stands at more than seven million units with 80 per cent of production exported to 100 markets worldwide
• Total investment made and announced since then is over £3.5 billion
• 500,238 units were produced at Sunderland plant in 2014
• In 2014, one in three cars built in the UK was a Nissan.
• Sunderland Plant currently employs more than 6,700 people
• Nissan's European Design Centre is located in Paddington, London and employs around 65 people
• Nissan's European Technical Centre is based in Cranfield, Bedfordshire and employs around 1,000 people
• Nissan’s sales and marketing headquarters in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire employs around 190 people

About Nissan in Europe
Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 17,600 staff across locally-based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. Last financial year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 675,000 vehicles including award-winning crossovers, small cars, SUVs, commercial vehicles and electric vehicles, including the Nissan LEAF, the world’s most popular electric vehicle with 96% of customers willing to recommend the car to friends. Nissan now offers a strong line-up of 23 diverse and innovative models in Europe under the Nissan and Datsun brands.