Nissan has marked the production of the 500,000th Leaf, the world’s first mass-market 100 per cent electric car. The milestone was achieved at Nissan’s plant in Sunderland, England, almost a decade after the model first went on sale. The plant has built more than 175,000 Leaf cars since it began producing the model in 2013.

The Nissan Leaf has won accolades around the world including Car of the Year 2011 in Europe, World Car of the Year 2011, and Car of the Year Japan in 2011 and 2012.

The 500,000th Leaf found its owner, Maria Jansen, in Norway.

“My husband and I chose to buy a Nissan Leaf back in 2018, and we loved it,” Jansen said. “We’re very excited to become the proud owners of the 500,000th Nissan Leaf. This car really meets our needs with extended range and enhanced technologies.”