Alliance partners Nissan and Renault have reached yet another electric-car milestone. The pair of Japanese and French carmakers have together built 340,000 electric cars since the launch of the Nissan Leaf in December 2010. That achievement was mentioned briefly in a joint Renault-Nissan announcement largely dealing with their plans to reduce costs by combining purchasing, manufacturing, and other aspects of their operations. DON'T MISS: What hurts Nissan Leaf sales: Tesla Model 3 or Chevy Bolt EV electric cars? The 340,000-unit barrier was broken just over a year after Renault and Nissan together passed 250,000 electric-car sales. The Nissan Leaf still accounts for the vast majority of those sales. It's the best-selling electric car in history, although U.S. sales have lost momentum in recent months. 2016 Nissan Leaf During the first six months of 2016, the Leaf racked up 5,973 U.S. deliveries, compared to 9,808 for the Chevrolet Volt, which now leads U.S. electric-car sales. This is likely due to the Leaf's aging design, and anticipation of longer-range electric cars such as the Chevy Bolt EV and Tesla Model 3. A redesigned Leaf with a 200-mile range to match the Chevy and Tesla is expected in the next year or two. ALSO SEE: Nissan And Renault Have Now Sold More Than 250,000 Electric Cars (Jun 2015) Nissan also sells the much lower-volume e-NV200, which combines the Leaf powertrain with the body of the NV200 small commercial van. This model is sold in Europe and Asia, although Nissan has has so far declined to bring it to the U.S. Renault has sold four electric models, with the majority of sales accumulated by its Zoe subcompact hatchback. Renault Zoe and Kangoo ZE electric cars on the Outer Hebrides The French carmaker delivered its 50,000th Zoe in April, several months after Nissan delivered its 200,000th Leaf. The Zoe was the best-selling electric car in Europe last year, and continues to challenge the Leaf for sales dominance there. Renault also sells the Kangoo ZE van and the Twizy, a low-speed model equivalent to U.S.-market neighborhood electric vehicles. MORE: Nissan And Renault Together Pass 200,000 Electric-Car Sales (Nov 2014) It also previously sold the Fluence ZE sedan, which lives on in South Korea under the Renault-Samsung brand name. Over the past five years, Renault and Nissan have shown an impressive commitment to electric cars that far exceeds any other manufacturer's. But as more makers introduce competitive all-electric models of their own, the two firms will have to update and expand their models to maintain their position at the top. _______________________________________________ Follow GreenCarReports on Facebook and Twitter
The Nissan-Renault alliance announced this week that it has now produced 340,000 electric vehicles since the launch of the Nissan Leaf in December 2010. The Leaf remains the best-selling electric vehicle across the globe to date, although it should be noted that it is now facing its first real competition in the form of the Chevrolet Volt and Tesla’s forthcoming Model 3.