New Nissan Leaf's first European customer picks up car at County Durham dealership

11:30 am, February 1, 2018

THE FIRST European customer to take delivery of an all-new Nissan Leaf has done so at a dealership in County Durham a matter of weeks after placing his order.

Leo Moran, pictured, a 63-year-old from Hartlepool, picked up the keys to his black special edition Leaf 2.Zero when he visited Bristol Street Motors Darlington yesterday.

Moran is a retired police officer who served with Cleveland Police for 30 years, where one of his duties was driving high-performance response vehicles. He first switched to electric motoring one year ago when he bought a previous-generation Nissan Leaf.

When the second-generation Leaf was unveiled, Moran was very interested. He did some research and then placed his order towards the end of 2017.

‘I’ve driven many cars of all shapes and sizes and many performance cars, but I can say hand on heart the Leaf is the best car I’ve ever driven,’ said Moran.

‘I’ve spent the last year singing the praises of the Nissan Leaf and now I have the new edition I can’t wait to get out and play, go on adventures and enjoy the drive.’

Of all the features on the new model, Moran is most excited about the e-Pedal, which lets the driver slow down and stop without having to use the brakes.

‘The great thing about the e-Pedal is it gives so much back to the driver,’said Moran.

‘Technology is a wonderful thing, but it often leads to us as drivers forgetting fundamental skills. With the e-Pedal, you become more aware of your surroundings and drive in an entirely new way.

‘With the bigger battery and increased range, I can visit my friends in Scotland and Manchester on one charge. I’m really looking forward to seeing how far I can go.

‘I’ve also made some investigations into getting the Nissan X-Storage and solar panels at my home, and I’m hoping I’ll be able to do that soon.’

Terry O’Neill, dealer principal at Bristol Street Motors, said: ‘We’re thrilled to be the first dealership in the UK to present the all-new Nissan Leaf, and to a fantastic customer who really is a Leaf champion.’