UK Business News

The last twenty years or more in Europe has seen the rise and rise of 4X4 vehicles on the roads, a trend started by Japanese manufacturers in the late eighties with the Mitsubishi Shogun, an all singing all dancing monster truck that came with every conceivable extra for luxury motoring.

The Shogun was aimed squarely at company executives who had little interest in cars, but loved to have all the toys and gadgets that such a vehicle could offer.

The sad fact was that Mitsubishi could not make enough of these vehicles and other manufacturers began taking the Japanese offering very seriously, particularly when Mitsubishi shot itself in the foot by increasing the price for the later model.

Nowadays of course there is no better way to take little Johnny the half mile to school than in the safe confines of an enormous 4X4 and these lovely vehicles are often to be found parked half on the pavement half on the road blocking  school entrances around the country.

But hopefully the days of the gas guzzling utility vehicle will soon be over, if we were really as concerned about the planet as we make out to be there would be no market already.

It is another Japanese manufacturer who is making the headlines in 2010, at last we are being offered a vehicle, albeit not four wheel drive, but a vehicle none the less that can carry five adults and no matter how fast it is driven it will still record zero emissions.

The Nissan Leaf has been marketed as the world’s first mass produced, affordable, zero emission vehicle and interest in the car in Europe, has been strong, with 12,000 customers signing up for updates.

Government incentives make the Leaf an interesting proposition to anyone looking to renew their vehicle during the coming year, with first delivery in Europe expected in Portugal in January 2011.

Deliveries to the Republic of Ireland and the UK are scheduled for February and March 2011 respectively, with orders being taken in ROI staring from July 30th and in the UK from September 1st this year.

The US and Japanese markets have exceeded expectations with pre-orders of 23,000 vehicles since April, this high demand means that the car will now not be launched in the Netherlands until June 2011.

If you want to be one of the first in the UK to own this world first vehicle, there is only a few weeks to wait until orders from the UK will start being taken. Make sure to go compare car insurance before you make any commitment to order and don’t expect to be among the first cars delivered if you have not already registered with Nissan.