The landmark was reached in November and came as Nissan's second-generation LEAF secures more than 1,300 UK sales in the six months since its launch.

Jon Pollock, sales director at Nissan GB said: ‘The fact the we have been able to reach the 3,000 mark is a fantastic achievement and shows not only what a wonderful car it is but also that motorists are keen to experience the revolutionary new technology it introduces.

He added: ‘The low running costs of the LEAF, not to mention its many other benefits, make it an incredibly attractive proposition and we have been seeing steady growth in sales.

‘We expect that trend to continue rising as the model's visibility increases and the rapid charging infrastructure expands across the UK.’

To date, more than 16,000 LEAFs have found owners across Europe, while global sales have now topped an astonishing 87,000.