Nissan Motor said its own data shows 99.99% of its Leaf EV battery units “remain entirely fit for purpose” five years and around 35,000 European sales since the launch of the all-electric model.

Battery failure rate is less than 0.01% – or just three units in total – a fraction of the equivalent industry-wide figure for defects affecting traditional combustion engines, the automaker said.

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Leaf sales rose 33% year on year in 2014 to 15,098 units, accounting for over 25% of European EV sales.

Jean-Pierre Diernaz, director of electric vehicles for Nissan in Europe, said: “The facts speak for themselves. The rate of battery faults in our vehicles is negligible, even the most ardent critic cannot argue with that.

“The battery technology is just part of our success story. With over 165,000 customers globally, it’s clear that we’re not the only people who are thrilled by the success of this state-of the art technology.”

With just three main components – the on-board charger, inverter and motor – the Leaf is also 40% cheaper to maintain compared to petrol or diesel-powered alternatives, Nissan claims.

It was launched in 2010 and is now the best selling electric vehicle in history.

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