Nissan sold more than 7,500 LEAFs and e-NV200s to fleet operators and municipalities in Europe, commanding a 28% share of the pure electric fleet market.

Commenting on the sales figures, Gareth Dunsmore, director of electric vehicles for Nissan Europe, said: “It’s great to see Nissan EV fleet demand going from strength-to-strength as businesses catch on to the many marked advantages electric vehicles have to offer. Nissan not only offers a great pure electric range for businesses, but we have also employed EV fleet specialists in most European countries, trained to provide advice and support to customers, offering analysis of total ownership costs and charging infrastructure. This strategy has proved incredibly effective at assisting businesses who are interested in zero emission technology, but need some guidance on making the switch to zero emission motoring.

“Now with the introduction of the new-to-sector Nissan LEAF 30 kWh, fleet customers will be able to travel even further, helping to meet businesses demands with an extended 250 km range.”

Postal services are among the many service providers that have been proactive in switching to electric power. Osterreichische Post AG, the Austrian state postal authority, already utilises 160 e-NV200s and has recently confirmed an order for 100 additional units.

Many public bodies and government organisations across Europe have also decided to lead by example and convert their fleets to zero emission vehicles. In the UK, Nissan has sold over 350 EVs to public entities and the City of Bari in Italy has just launched a car sharing service in cooperation with ACI Global using 30 Nissan LEAFs.

In the UK, Nissan’s total EV fleet sales for FY15 were up 43% compared with FY14, with 2,573 combined LEAF and e-NV200 sales versus 1,806 for the previous financial year. Electric vehicles now make up around 3% of all fleet sales with an increasing number of major contracts including West Midlands Police renewing its fleet of 30 Nissan LEAFs and upgrading to the new 30kWh model.

Commenting on the model's success, Karl Anders, national EV manager at Nissan Motor (GB), said: “More and more local authorities and public sector organisations across the UK are turning to Nissan’s market-leading electric vehicles to meet their fleet needs.

“Both the LEAF and e-NV200 can have a significant impact on reducing running and whole-life costs as well as well as helping organisations significantly cut their carbon emissions.”