More than 250,000 electric vehicles (EVs) have been sold to date by the Renault-Nissan Alliance — making the alliance far and away the world’s top seller of EVs.
For those with a sense of curiosity to them, the EV in question (#250,000) was a white Renault ZOE. The unit was sold, apparently, to a French computer engineer — one who used France’s generous new trade-in incentives to get rid of his old, high-emissions diesel vehicle and get an EV instead. Altogether, the buyer — Yves Nivelle — got a rebate of €10,000 on the purchase.
“The government’s environmental bonus was a big factor in my decision to get an EV,” said Nivelle. “But I have to say, I was convinced the first time I drove the car. It’s a real pleasure to drive, and it feels good to do my part for the environment.”
Considering that the alliance launched the Nissan LEAF only 4 years ago, the numbers are really quite impressive. During this time period, the LEAF has accounted for 180,000 of the units sold.
Worth noting here is that EV sales appear to be climbing fairly rapidly for the alliance — with 31,700 EVs sold during January–May 2015. That’s a nearly 15% gain on sales during the same period during 2014.
“Demand for our electric vehicles continues to grow thanks to government incentives and the expanding charging infrastructure,” stated Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. “The positive response of our customers is also driving demand. These vehicles enjoy some of the highest levels of satisfaction rates from our customers around the world.”