In a historic moment for Nissan and zero emission vehicles, the 100% electric Nissan LEAF has been awarded 2011 European Car of the Year.

NISSAN LEAF IN ACTION

The world’s first mass-marketed, affordable, zero-emission vehicle for the global market beat 40 contenders to win the important accolade. This is the first time in the 47-year history of the annual competition that the award has gone to an electric vehicle. Nissan LEAF’s rivals included vehicles from brands such as Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Dacia, Ford, Opel and Volvo. The jury included 57 leading motoring journalists from 23 European countries.

“The jury acknowledged that the Nissan LEAF is a breakthrough for electric cars. Nissan LEAF is the first EV that can match conventional cars in many respects,” said Håkan Matson, President of the Jury, Car of the Year.

Nissan LEAF is powered by a compact electric motor in the front of the car, which drives the front wheels. The AC motor develops a power output of 80kW and 280Nm of torque, enough for a maximum speed of 90mph. The electric motor is powered by a Nissan-developed laminated lithium-ion battery with an output of more than 90kW. The car has a range of more than 160 kilometres (New European Driving Cycle) between charges making it a practical proposition for many urban drivers.

The vehicle is fully equipped with features such as regenerative braking, air conditioning, satellite navigation, parking camera and advanced on-board IT and telematics systems. Innovative connectivity will allow an owner to set charging functions to monitor the car's current state of charge and the remaining battery capacity, as well as to heat or cool the interior of the car remotely via mobile phone or computer. The single option is a solar panel mounted in the rear spoiler that supports charging of the car's 12V battery used for powering accessories.

Nissan has won the CoTY award in Europe before. In 1993, the UK-built Nissan Micra became the first car from a Japanese automaker to win the accolade and started Europe’s love affair with the little car that continues today with the recent launch of the newest Nissan Micra model.