New Nissan Leaf makes its European debut as limited-edition 2.Zero goes on sale

The first edition of the new Nissan Leaf will go on sale today and cost £26,490, as revealed at its first appearance in Europe.

Called the Leaf 2.Zero, the limited-edition version of the all-electric hatchback is kitted out with semi-autonomous functions including the ability to park itself.

The price tag of £26,490 is specifically for this model, including the government grant, but Nissan will no longer be renting out batteries on top of this cost.

It was unveiled at the Nissan Futures 3.0 event in Oslo, the first time the EV or its ProPilot functionality has made an appearance in Europe. It debuted alongside the new longer range e-NV200 van and home charging systems, all of which Nissan believes will get more drivers behind the wheel of an electric vehicle.

ProPilot, the name Nissan gives its autonomous system, will enable lane-keep assist, intelligent cruise control and traffic jam assist all at the push of a button. This will be an optional extra, fitted as standard on top-spec models.

Nissan Leaf product specialist for Europe Francesco Giacalone told the Press Association: “We have big expectations and the car represents a massive improvement for all technology in the car and from a design perspective, so we’re now moving to a more mainstream design.

“I think some customers for the old Leaf were more reluctant to take the car because of some polarising in the design. They will not have these objections any more, therefore we can grow much faster and appeal to a broader population than we have done so far.”

The Nissan Leaf also gets the addition of the ‘e-Pedal’ for the first time. This uses regenerative braking when the accelerator is released, meaning most drivers will rarely use the brake pedal and will cover short journeys using minimal battery power.

The hatchback will now be able to cover 235 miles on one charge, so most owners won’t need to charge more than once a week. The new version of the all-electric e-NV200 has increased range by 60 per cent, meaning it can cover 174 miles on one charge.

Paul Willcox, chairman of Nissan Europe, said: “Nissan kick-started the electric vehicle revolution almost a decade ago. In that time, we’ve sold more EVs than any other manufacturer on the planet. Now we’re outlining our plans for the next decade, which will see even bigger investments in infrastructure, new battery advances and will even change the way people access and pay for the power in their cars.

“Put simply, we’ve been doing it longer than anyone else, we’ve sold more than anyone else, and we have a more exciting plan for the future than anyone else.”

By Rebecca Chaplin