ZERO to 20,000 EVs in just one year. That’s the Nissan LEAF sales story since the first delivery in Petaluma, California, in December 2010.

The world’s first mass-market, 100 per cent electric vehicle is now found on five continents, in countries from Japan to South Africa, with 57 million kilometres on the odometer, some three million litres of fuel saved, and 7,300 tons less of CO2 in the air.

It’s an incredible tale of progress and Nissan have released a video to celebrate the occasion, which you can watch below…

Did you know?

• Nissan’s first foray into EVs began in 1947 with the Tama Electric Car.
• Its more modern migration to electric vehicles, though, can be traced to 1992, when Nissan started to develop EV batteries.
• One year ago, Silicon Valley entrepreneur Olivier Chalouhi became the first person in the United States to own a LEAF.
• By March of this year, more than 5,000 LEAFs had been sold, mostly in Japan, while sales were starting up in the US and Europe.
• The LEAF is now available in 30 US states, with plans for nationwide sales by March, while the global rollout continues. Penetration has been dependent on collaboration.
• LEAF is the first of eight EV models across the Renault-Nissan Alliance.
• Altogether, the Alliance aims to produce 1.5 million EVs by 2016, while CEO Carlos Ghosn expects electric vehicles to be 10 per cent of the market in 10 years.