Nissan’s electric Leaf kicked a sales and exposure goal this week, with Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore taking delivery of ten of the small hatches on behalf of the City of Sydney.

The city's purchase marks the largest single order of the $51,500 small hatch to date in Australia. The cars will join a fleet of four Mitsubishi i-MiEV pure-electric city cars.

Replacing a fleet of ten Toyota Prius petrol-electric hybrid models, Lord Mayor Moore considers the use of the zero-emission Leafs as a wholesale gain in a city environment.

Acknowledging that the mains power largely used for EV recharging involves carbon emissions itself, the council asserts that this will be offset by solar panels installed on several Sydney buildings - a program claimed to be the largest building-mounted solar installation in Australia.

To encourage greater public use of electric vehicles, the City of Sydney has installed seven electric charging stations at public carparks in Kings Cross and Goulburn street in the CBD.

This followed the installation of Australia’s first public charge station by private supplier ChargePoint in the sydney suburb of Glebe in 2010, used by car share company GoGet.

Sydney's Leaf fleet will be used will be used by council for building and health inspectors, town planners and engineers.

Lord Mayor Moore suggested the Leaf’s maximum range of 170km is “more than enough to get around the city”.

Nissan announced this week that it has sold more than 50,000 Leafs globally since its 2010 debut, and so far 83 have been sold in Australia (to Jan 31) since its June 2012 local launch.

Speaking with TMR at the City of Sydney Leaf fleet’s official handover, Nissan Australia’s sales and fleet boss Ian Moreillon suggested that similar purchases are likely to follow.

• Related News & Reviews at TMR ▼

• Leaf | Nissan | Electric Vehicles | Green Cars

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• reply ” like !

  

  Godspeed says,
  3 months ago

  Haha love the headline!
• reply ” like !

  

  toesonthenose says,
  3 months ago

  Clover Moore bolstering anyones, or anythings, cred?
  
  Nothing like a good laugh to start the weekend!
• reply ” like !

  

  Philip says,
  3 months ago

  How economically does this add up you or rather poor suffering taxpayer are paying $51000 for a four door car where says four door vw up! Would cost $19000 . I'am not knocking the idea of the car but the cost is crazy ! Clover open your personal purse let the moths fly set an example to the public spend your own money set an example ! Oh suddenly theres silence !! Clover spend your own money you earn a few hundred grand a year as lord mayor!!! The alternative is Nissan sell you novel car on the road tops $30 k that 60% more than the up!
  • reply ” like !

    

    Fred S says,
    3 months ago

    4 likes

    It would be to everyones benefit if you could use a bit of punctuation and re-read your comment before posting, otherwise a good and valid point can go unnoticed because it is too difficult to decipher just what it is you are trying to say.