EUROPE - Nissan celebrates selling 75,000 Electric vehicles in Europe after the announcement of 260,000 worldwide.

• Nissan passes 75,000 electric vehicle (EV) sales milestone in Europe as the EV market gains momentum
• Nissan LEAF sales up 10 percent and e-NV200 sales up 34 percent in the first half of FY16*
• Nissan Intelligent Mobility takes another step forward as the brand celebrates more than 260,000 Nissan EV customers worldwide

European Nissan LEAF sales have risen by 10 percent in the first half of FY16 compared with the same period last year, Nissan has announced today. The latest figures also reveal that there are more than 75,000 Nissan EV owners in Europe as the electric vehicle revolution speeds up across the continent.

This momentous milestone follows the recent announcement that 260,000 Nissan EVs have been sold worldwide, reinforcing Nissan’s vision for a zero-emission future as the brand continues to make Intelligent Mobility a reality.

EV sales have been further bolstered by strong e-NV200 sales year-to-date FY16 – up 34 percent year-on-year. Increased demand for Nissan’s zero-emission e-NV200 from businesses across Europe comes as the brand celebrates the extension of its class-leading five year warranty to include the all-electric LCV.

Gareth Dunsmore, Director of Electric Vehicles at Nissan Europe, said: “Europe’s electric vehicle market is growing at an extraordinary pace as motorists across the continent switch on to the multiple benefits that electric mobility provides.

“As part of Nissan Intelligent Mobility, it is our aim to offer customers around the world a safer and more sustainable future through our electric vehicle range including, the Nissan LEAF and e-NV200. By driving sales, we are encouraging increasing numbers of drivers to switch to EVs and ultimately, move towards to a zero-emission future.”

With the LEAF’s 30kWh battery now offering 155 miles in driving range** and as many as 4,000 quick chargers installed across Europe, driving an electric car is more practical and enjoyable than ever before, providing an easy gateway to a zero-emission future. Nissan is dedicated to delivering a smarter, more sustainable future, with customers across the globe having driven more than 2.5 billion electric miles.

Maserati states it will limited annual production.

Luxury carmaker Maserati, part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, will not sell more than 75,000 vehicles globally a year to retain the exclusivity of the Italian brand.

Maserati previously said it was on track to meet annual sales targets of 50,000 vehicles next year and 75,000 by 2018.

The carmaker also aims to boost its South Korean sales by five-fold this year, from 120 last year, said Umberto Maria Cini, Managing Director for General Overseas Markets at Maserati S.p.A.

Maserati executives said last month the brand planned todouble its dealership network to about 500 by 2015 to sustain demand for the Ghibli and Quattroporte luxury sedans.

“You need them to support the growth,” Maserati CEO Harald Wester said in a June interview with Bloomberg Television in Modena, Italy, where the carmaker presented an exhibition to celebrate its 100-year anniversary.

Maserati had 250 sales outlets in 2011.

Fiat is investing in Maserati as part of a plan to boost global sales of Italian-made luxury models to end losses in Europe.

The manufacturer targets lifting Maserati’s sales nearly fivefold to 75,000 vehicles in 2018. The brand is already set to match 2013’s full-year deliveries of 15,400 vehicles by the end of June, Wester said.

That type of growth justifies “the investments we did and gives us a sort of confidence for further investments and further projects,” Wester said last month.

Maserati plans to more than triple revenue to 6 billion euros ($8.2 billion) in 2018 as it introduces new models, including its first ever SUV and the Alfieri sports car. The brand’s cheapest model currently is the $66,900 Ghibli.

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