£23,350 to pick up a new Nissan Leaf

A NEW all-electric car, the Nissan Leaf, will set UK drivers back £23,350 even with a £5,000 government grant, it was announced yesterday.

On sale in the UK from February 2011, the Leaf is a zero-emission, five-door hatchback with a range of 100 miles.

The 90mph car is being made, initially, in Japan and the United States, with production expected to start at Nissan's Sunderland plant in in 2013, helping to safeguard more than 2,000 jobs.

The Labour government announced in February that those buying ultra-low carbon cars would get 25 per cent off the price, with the grant capped at 5,000.

Nissan International's sales and marketing senior vice-president, Simon Thomas, said: "Nissan leads the industry by being the first automaker to offer an affordable zero-emission car."