MAYOR of London, Boris Johnson MP, took advantage of Nissan’s zero emission shuttle service as he departed Paris during the first week of the 21st UN Conference of Parties (COP21).
Opting for environmentally-friendly transport, Mr Johnson took the opportunity to experience the new 30kWh battery version of the world’s best-selling all electric vehicle, the Nissan LEAF. He was driven in the Nissan LEAF from his hotel to Gare du Nord train station, bringing his time at the global climate change conference to an end.
The London Mayor, who is paving the way for low emission transport in his home city, is the first politician around the world to experience the new, longer range model of the Nissan LEAF.
Mr Johnson joined events in Paris to speak in the Climate Summit for Local Leaders earlier in the day. As he said farewell to Paris, the Nissan LEAF 30 kWh provided zero emission, 100% electric transport so he could commence his journey home following the events at COP21.
As the world-wide leader in the development of zero emission vehicle technology, the Renault-Nissan Alliance is an official partner of COP21, providing a fleet of 200 all-electric vehicles as the official passenger-car provider for the global climate change conference. The shuttle vehicles, which include the 100% electric Nissan LEAF, represent the world’s largest ever EV fleet at an international conference.
Speaking about his experience in the new Nissan LEAF 30 kWh, which has an increased range of 250 kilometres (155 miles) on a single charge, Mr Johnson said: “It’s a good feeling to see a British-built export driving around the streets of Paris as the official shuttle car of a major UN conference. I’m delighted that I got to experience the new, longer range Nissan LEAF whilst at COP21. Zero emission cars like this will play a real part in improving the air quality in our cities as well as tackling climate change.”
Robert Lujan, Electric Vehicle Director at Nissan Motor Company, commented: “It’s a natural fit for Nissan to offer up our newest LEAF to Boris Johnson as he makes his way back to London after COP21. The car is built in Britain and exported to Paris – as well as all across Europe. The Nissan LEAF’s popularity in the UK can in part be attributed to Mr Johnson’s efforts to reduce the environmental impact of transport in the UK’s capital.”
Whilst Mr Johnson’s time at COP21 has come to a close, the Nissan LEAF will continue to feature heavily behind the scenes as part of a 200-strong electric vehicle fleet provided by the Renault-Nissan Alliance – the world’s largest ever EV fleet at an international conference. Together, the vehicles are expected to cover more than 400,000 km, while shuttling delegates during the conference.
