Big ECG discount for UK-built Nissan Leaf! – Autocar
The new Nissan Leaf will be priced from £32,249, having been confirmed eligible for the maximum £3750 discount under the UK’s Electric Car Grant scheme.
Due to enter production in Sunderland next month, the Leaf is the fourth sub-£37,000 EV to qualify for the higher of the two available grants, following the Ford Puma Gen-E, Ford E-Tourneo Courier and Citroën ë-C5 Aircross. The other 35 cars on the scheme have been awarded the lower £1500 discount.
It means that all of Nissan’s EVs are eligible for the ECG, the Micra hatchback and Ariya SUV having already received the £1500 discount.
The Leaf launches exclusively with a 75kWh battery pack giving up to 386 miles of charge, and a 213bhp motor on the front axle capable of delivering the SUV from 0-62mph in 7.6 seconds. A cheaper entry-level Leaf, with a 52kWh battery giving a maximum range of 271 miles, will come later, possibly bringing prices below £30,000, but Nissan has yet to announce pricing for that.
For now, the range kicks off with Engage trim at £32,249 – including a heat pump, 18in alloys, an 11kW onboard charger and two 12.3in screens as standard. The Engage+ package costs an extra £900, and adds a range of Google services, heated front seats and steering wheel, larger 14.3in screens and a wireless phone charger.
Then the range climbs up to Advance at £34,249 – adding a dimming panoramic roof, head-up display, electric boot lid, privacy glass and a wraparound front light bar – and tops out at £36,249 for the Evolve model, which adds a nine-speaker Bose sound system, vehicle-to-load charging function, synthetic leather seats and a massage function for the driver.
View all car reviews
Nissan's game-changing EV becomes an SUV on a shared platform for its third era
All prices include the ECG.
Nissan GB boss James Taylor had earlier told Autocar the Leaf would be in a “very strong position” to receive the maximum grant, given the framework that determines which models qualify is based on criteria that takes into account the environmental impact of production and shipping.
Speaking after the ECG scheme was announced in the summer, Taylor said the suggestion that the rules had been written with Nissan in mind was “going a little bit far” but it was right that the scheme favoured locally manufactured vehicles.
“Our battery plant is being built in Sunderland, and when full-scale production starts there next year, we will have British-assembled and -built batteries going into British-assembled and -built cars,” he said.
“Personally, I’ve always been a big believer in supporting ‘UK plc’ to benefit the overall economy, business and jobs. And obviously in terms of these [ECG] rules, that is rewarding the low CO2 base you get if you produce both battery and car in the UK. So from that point of view, it’s very welcome.”
Now, with the grant confirmed, Taylor said in a statement that Nissan is “absolutely delighted” by the decision, which will “deliver an accessible route to EV ownership for our customers”.
The government said the Leaf’s eligibility will “support jobs and growth” in the north-east of England.
Join our WhatsApp community and be the first to read about the latest news and reviews wowing the car world. Our community is the best, easiest and most direct place to tap into the minds of Autocar, and if you join you’ll also be treated to unique WhatsApp content. You can leave at any time after joining – check our full privacy policy here.
Felix is Autocar’s deputy editor, responsible for leading the brand’s agenda-shaping coverage across all facets of the global automotive industry – both in print and online.
He has interviewed the most powerful and widely respected people in motoring, covered the reveals and launches of today’s most important cars, and broken some of the biggest automotive stories of the last few years.
View all car reviews
