Nissan have unveiled its bid to top the Eco friendly car market, with what it claims to be  the world’s first mass market electric car: The Nissan Leaf.

Nissan Electric Car "Leaf"

It’s quite good looking for an electric car, and aims to rival the likes of the Prius and the G-Wiz. The Leaf has zero emissions, is family sized and claims to reach speeds of up to 90 mph. It only has a range of 100 miles, so is unlikely to be snapped up by any car hire companies, but may be ideal for a family in the city and car swapping schemes.

The Nissan plant in Sunderland is hoping to build the car to distribute to the European Market, and is aimed to be in showrooms in Britain, Japan, the US and Europe by the end of next year. The Leaf is the first of Nissan’s new range of fully electric powered cars, which produce no carbon emissions, unlike hybrid vehicles such as the Toyota Prius, which uses a petrol-powered engine as well as an electric battery. Nissan’s range of electric cars will include small, medium sized and large saloon cars.

Electric cars currently on the market have a niche appeal with motorists put off by their limited range, size and speed. The tiny G-Wiz in Britain, for example, has been popular among commuters in large cities such as London, where it is exempt from the congestion charge. But even the latest model has a speed limit of only 51mph and a maximum range of 70 miles before it needs recharging, limiting its use and making it quite rubbish.

High performance electric cars are prohibitively expensive. Tesla Motors, maker of the Tesla Roadster, has spent years trying to get costs down to about $100,000 (£60,000) for each sports car.

Source: The Guardian