The new Nissan Leaf will give buyers the choice to either buy the batteries outright or lease them in conjunction with a lower list price.

As before, the car qualifies for the £5,000 government grant for plug-in electric vehicles, and as such the prices will be almost always quoted with that reduction taken into account.

If buying the entire car outright, the effective price starts at £20,990 for the entry-level Visia model, which shares the exact same electric drivetrain as the the higher grades. The list price drops by £5,000 if a customer chooses to lease the batteries, making the asking price £15,990 plus at least £70 per month for the batteries.

The same price structure applies to all three trim levels, with mid-range Acenta costing £23,490 or £18,490, and the supremely well equipped Tekna requiring a £25,490 or £20,490 commitment.

The £70 battery leasing cost applies to mileages of less than 7,500 per year over three years. There is a stepped scale increasing from there, with an average 10,500-mile policy costing £85 per month and a 15,000 mile allowance charged at £109 over the same three-year period. The prices also rise if the agreement is shortened and can be as much as £129 per month for 15,000 miles over 12 months.

Jim Wright, Managing Director of Nissan Motor GB Ltd, said: "We are very proud of the new Nissan Leaf, which underlines our commitment to the future of electric motoring.

"With more than 100 improvements over the outgoing model, it really does mark the next stage in the electric motoring revolution. Built at our record-breaking Sunderland plant for British drivers using British roads, we're looking forward to it becoming our next home-grown success story."