THE first shipment of electric Nissan LEAFs bound for Europe has arrived today.

The 67 eco-friendly cars arrived aboard the ‘City of St. Petersburg’, Nissan’s brand new energy-saving car carrier for transporting vehicles in Europe.

The vehicles are destined for customers in the UK and Ireland and were unloaded from the Port of Tyne, South Tyneside, as the carrier completes its maiden voyage.

Simon Thomas, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Nissan International SA, Nissan’s European headquarters, said: "The arrival of the Nissan LEAF, the world’s first affordable, all-electric car, in Europe is a landmark day for Nissan and European transport.

"The Nissan LEAF is a genuine alternative to petrol and diesel cars in terms of style, features, safety, performance and handling,”

“It is fitting that this first shipment of Nissan LEAFs is arriving on our new energy-saving car carrier, the City of St. Petersburg.

"We look forward to delivering these cars to the very first Nissan LEAF customers, who share our vision for an environmentally sustainable future for road transport."