Sunderland plant accounts for nearly one-quarter of all Leafs ever built.
The 50,000th U.K.-built Leaf rolls off the production line three years after Nissan introduced electric-vehicle and battery manufacturing to Europe.
Manufactured at Nissan U.K.’s flagship plant in Sunderland, 275 miles (440 km) north of London, it is the first time a European automaker has built 50,000 EVs and the batteries that power them.M
The landmark Leaf is destined for a customer in France, one of 23 export markets ranging from mainland Europe to Argentina, Iceland, Israel and Taiwan.
Nissan says 2016 is shaping up to be a landmark year for Leaf, with the extended-range 155-mile (250-km) version introduced to Europe and the automaker’s confirmation that its future-generation batteries will be produced in Sunderland – a further £26.5 million ($38.3 million) investment in the plant.
