Nissan’s EV’s Cover 3 Billion Miles in the U.K.

Nissan has been present in the U.K. market for 15 years with its electric vehicles. Having pioneered the electric family hatchback at the start of the last decade, the Japanese manufacturer has hit a remarkable milestone, with UK owners of its electric cars and vans having driven a staggering three billion miles combined.

Nissan used DVLA mileage data for its vehicles registered in the UK, showing a landmark figure of 3,027,603,142 miles, which Nissan proudly states “is the equivalent of driving to the moon and back more than 6,000 times – or from Sunderland to Tokyo more than 340,000 times.”

Nissan also stated that its “EV drivers have significantly reduced the environmental impact of their travel in the UK, be it trips to work, school runs or holidays. Had all these journeys instead been made by petrol-powered cars of a similar size, their tailpipe emissions could have totalled more than half a million tonnes of CO2*”.

The first-generation LEAF went on sale in the UK in 2011, but it was first built at Sunderland from 2013. With Toyota focused on its hybrid powertrains, the LEAF gained traction with the British public for it’s quiet, efficient, clean, cheap motoring with zero tailpipe emissions - something of a novelty way back in 2011.

The e-NV200 electric van arrived in 2014, extending that zero-emissions experience to LCV drivers, plus it also offered a 7-seat MPV version that was favoured by larger families and taxi ranks.

Even with a comparatively modest range compared to modern EV’s - and with the 3rd generation LEAF good for up to 386 miles on a charge - the Mk1 LEAF suited customers who sought value from an efficient commuter car, or family runabout. Some were far more adventurous taking on long trips in a car not known for being ‘rangey’, and it perhaps pioneered The Range Test well before there were other cars available to compete with on this now frequently quoted metric. Some perhaps treat the range of their EV like a badge of honour, whilst others just need the range that suits their needs.

In 2018, the second generation LEAF arrived with an all-new model that brought the LEAF up-to-date, adding more technology and more range, thanks to its choice of 39 kwh or 62 kWh battery packs.

ARIYA introduced Nissan’s first electric crossover, which arrived in 2022, and it was a clear shift away for Nissan with a clean, contemporary interior that was both classy and clutter free. It even gained the coveted Car of the Year title from Auto Express.  

MICRA joined the lineup in late 2025, and with it, brought an electric supermini into its ranks, with great driving dynamics, plenty of range, lots of character and a low entry point, ensuring more people can access a Nissan EV.

In 2026 Nissan did it again and was named Auto Express Car of the Year 2026 for the 3rd generation LEAF, which is a huge departure from the prior two generations, more aligned to the looks, feel and quality found in the ARIYA, but in a package that is slightly smaller than the the previous LEAF.

Nissan’s Sunderland plant continues to manufacturer the LEAF and will soon be joined by an all-electric Juke as part of the brand’s EV36Zero strategy. This also includes home-grown renewable energy generated on-site via Nissan’s wind, solar, and battery packs, with the latter made next door via Nissan’s partner AESC, and their gigafactory.

James Taylor, Managing Director of Nissan Motor GB, said: “Nissan has been a pioneer and leader in electric vehicles for more than 15 years, and figures like this only underscore that point. For our EVs to have covered more than three billion electric miles across the UK is an incredible milestone, and one that everyone at Nissan should be proud of.”

* Actual figure calculated as approx. 584,695 tonnes of CO2, based on emissions of 120g/km (matching an average C-segment petrol-powered hatchback on sale today) multiplied by 3,027,603,142 miles.