Nissan Leaf electric not so french, build in the UK Sunderland plant

50.000 eCars built 2012 Sunderland UK

The Nissan Leaf will be imported from Japan in March next year. Originally sales were not going to start until 2013. The Nissan Sunderland plant will eventually build 50,000 cars a year starting in 2012, but over the next six months potential buyers in the UK will be offered the chance to test versions of the Nissan Leaf

5-Seater 100mls / 140km range ?

it is a five-seat hatchback, capable of travelling up to 100 miles on a single recharge.

Lithium-ion batteries Factory Sunderland

Its lithium-ion batteries, which will be built in a separate plant in Sunderland, can be recharged to 80% of their capacity in less than 30 minutes, rather than overnight, as is the case with battery packs currently used in other electric cars. Nissan says it will cost the same as a 1.6-litre five-door hatchback.

source: motoring.co.uk

200m Euros investment battery factory

Hundreds of jobs are expected to be safeguarded once production begins in 2013 - part of a £420m investment in electric cars.

The investment is backed by a £20.7m government grant and up to £220m from the European Investment Bank.

Nissan's electric car batteries, creating 350 new jobs. About 60,000 batteries will be made there when production begins next month.

Lord Mandelson said: "By working together we can achieve our aim of making the UK a world-leader in ultra-low carbon vehicles.

Nissan had already said that it would invest some 200m euros in a battery factory near its Sunderland manufacturing plant, yet it was never a given that the company would produce its Leaf electric car here too. Its investment in the region is now set to double.

2.250 jobs created, £5000 Gov discount offered