The Nissan LEAF has been named as the European Car of the Year for 2011 beating out a number of quality vehicles. This is a huge deal in the motoring industry as it is the first 100% electric and zero emission vehicle to win the award.

Nissan LEAF comes out on top

The European Car of the Year is voted on by 57 leading motoring journalists across 23 European countries and has been running for 47 years. Nissan last won the award in 1993, when the Nissan Micra was named the European Car of the Year. Nissan note how zero emission cars have finally caught up to conventional cars with regard to safety, performance, spaciousness and handling. It certainly paints a bright future for electric vehicles and the automobile industry in general for sustainable mobility.

The Nissan LEAF is fitted with an electric AC motor that produces 80kW and 280Nm of torque and maxes out at 145km/h. The vehicle can run for a 175km on one charge (European Driving Cycle) and while this can be practical for urban driving in many European cities, its uses in South Africa and many other countries will be limited.

The Nissan LEAF will arrive in Japan and the US this December, and in Europe in early 2011. There is no information on whether or not the vehicle will be released in South Africa but we will update you with any new information as it arrives.