The numbers are in, and Nissan (NSANY -0.81%) keeps the crown as the king of electric vehicle sales.
On Friday, Nissan announced that it has sold more than 35,000 LEAF all-electric cars in the U.S. since introducing the vehicle to market in December 2010. That's more than twice the combined sales of all models produced by the other major producer of electrics in the U.S., Elon Musk's Tesla, which produced 2,500 Roadsters before switching to Model S production last year, and had delivered 12,700 Model S sedans direct-to-consumers as of earlier this month.
Relative to the volumes of more traditional internal combustion engine cars, both tallies are tiny. But Nissan emphasizes the trend in its sales, noting that "Nissan LEAF sales in the United States are up 317% year-over-year since launching the 2013 model in March, and these sales are rapidly expanding to a new wave of markets such as Atlanta, St. Louis and Denver."
To celebrate its success, Nissan is sponsoring "National Plug In Day" in 80 U.S. cities on Sept. 28 and 29, calling the event a chance for "owners throughout the United States ... to share their enthusiasm and experiences." The company says that "thousands of EV advocates will take part in a variety of activities like EV parades, tailgates, ride-and-drives, live music and games."
