Nissan reduces Leaf pricing and adds more standard kit

Nissan has reduced the price of the Leaf by £1650 on all variants, as well as adding equipment to the electric car.

Prices now range from £26,345 for the Acenta to £35,895 for the e+ Tekna, which has a larger battery. The mid-range N-Connecta and Tekna can now be bought from £27,645 and £29,345 respectively. These prices include the Government's £3500 grant for EVs.

Explaining the price drop, Nissan cited "economies of scale" made possible by increased production allocation for the Leaf at its Sunderland plant. It added that the cut "puts the Leaf in the heart of its rivals in terms of price point and makes it much more competitive".

Nissan hopes the move will encourage more of its customers to go electric as it seeks to meet upcoming EU legislation on fleet CO2 emission limits. It faces fines if its fails to do so – a dilemma that all car makers are facing ahead of 2021. It also means the Leaf becomes more appealing in the crucial company car market, because all variants are now in the sub-£30k P11D range.

As well as the price drop, Nissan has added equipment to the Leaf. All versions now come with two USB ports in the rear of the centre console, while the Tekna's LED foglights (an option on the N-Connecta), now give extra illumination when cornering.

With almost 440,000 examples sold since its introduction in 2010, the Leaf is the world's best-selling EV. It's also the most popular in the UK, with 32,000 orders to date.