An early arrival?

The UK on-sale date for the car will be no later than 2012, but could be brought forward to 2011 if sufficient recharging infrastructure is in place.

A recent meeting between Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is said to have been dominated by talks about the future of electric cars.

Officials refused to comment on likely prices for the EV, but stressed Nissan's commitment to being a leader in zero-emission vehicle manufacturing and making such technology affordable.