Nissan in Europe is first car maker to apply glow-in-the-dark car paint.

• EV pioneer Nissan is first manufacturer to partner with similarly innovative inventor to create paint that uses UV energy absorbed during daylight to glow at night
• Increasing numbers of LEAF owners expanding sustainability efforts by installing solar panels to their homes

Nissan in Europe has become the first manufacturer to apply glow-in-the-dark car paint to showcase how its market-leading, all-electric LEAF is helping more and more people convert to solar energy at home.

The manufacturer worked with inventor, Hamish Scott, creator of STARPATH, which is a spray-applied coating that absorbs UV energy during the day so that it glows for between eight and 10 hours when the sun goes down.

While glowing car paint is already available, as are glow-in-the-dark car wraps, the bespoke, ultraviolet-energized paint created especially for Nissan is unique thanks to its secret formula made up of entirely organic materials. It contains a very rare natural earth product called Strontium Aluminate, which is solid, odorless and chemically and biologically inert.

Various third-party companies have applied non-organic glow-in-the-dark paint to vehicles before, but Nissan is the first car maker to directly apply such technology. Nissan's unique paint, if made commercially available, would last for 25 years.

With running costs of just two pence* or less per mile to run, the UK's 7,500 plus Nissan LEAF owners have reported significant savings and are using the money they save on a wide variety of items; among the more popular of these are solar panels for the home, which decreases the household carbon footprint and means owners are also effectively charging their vehicle for free.

Research revealed recently by Nissan showed that 89 percent of LEAF owners charge their cars at home overnight. Although solar panels do not store energy or provide it outside of daylight, any leftover power generated during the day is fed back into the national grid and homeowners can get a Government payment for it, meaning that the overnight charge is already paid for.

LEAF owner Ian Finch is one of those who has combined the savings offered by running an all-electric vehicle with solar panels to power his home.

"Running the Nissan LEAF costs a sixth of the amount we'd pay to run a diesel or petrol car," he said. "Overall, we are probably using 25 percent less electricity thanks to our solar panels and it's a fantastic experience to be able to drive the LEAF using electricity that's been produced completely for free."

Nissan U.S. Sales Increase 12.9% to Set New June Record

- Nissan Division achieves record June sales, spurred by sales of Pathfinder, Altima, Sentra and LEAF –

2013 Nissan Pathfinder Platinum



Driven by demand for its highest-volume models, Nissan U.S. sales in June totaled 104,124, an increase of 12.9 percent over 92,237 units a year earlier. This marks the company's best-ever June U.S. sales performance. Nissan Division sales increased 16.1 percent to 95,010 units, also a June record. Sales of Infiniti vehicles in June totaled 9,114 units.

NISSAN HIGHLIGHTS

• Nissan Division posted 95,010 sales, a June record and up 16.1 percent from last June's 81,801 units.
• Deliveries of the Pathfinder SUV rose 208.9 percent to 8,360 units, marking the best June ever for the model. So far in 2013, Pathfinder sales are up 203.2 percent, exceeding the sales total for all of 2012.
• Sales of Nissan LEAF in June were 2,225 units, up 315.9 percent. LEAF deliveries in the first half of 2013 are at 9,839, and have already exceeded the sales total from all of 2012.
• Nissan Altima deliveries also set a new June record, increasing 23.3 percent to 26,904 units.
• Rogue sales also set a new June record at 15,518 units, up 41.1 percent.
• Combined sales of Nissan's three all-new models -- Altima, Sentra and Pathfinder -- were up 34.8 percent in June.
• June marked the first deliveries of the all-new 2014 Versa Note, the hatchback model of the industry's best-selling subcompact car. Versa Note offers class-leading fuel economy, cutting-edge technologies, an energetic exterior design, roomy and versatile interior and available activity enhancing features such as Pandora® radio compatibility and hands-free text messaging assistant, making it an ideal fit for today's buyers needs.

Fred Diaz, divisional vice president, Sales and Marketing, Nissan, said: "The redesign of our core products such as Altima, Pathfinder and Sentra is continuing to drive sales. With the introduction of the all-new Versa Note, the fourth of five all-new core models for Nissan, we expect to maintain leadership in the increasingly competitive subcompact market."

INFINITI HIGHLIGHTS

• Infiniti today reported sales of 9,114 units in June, down 12.7 percent from 10,436 units a year earlier.
• The Infiniti G Sedan saw sales of 3,659 in June, as the company prepares for the all-new Infiniti Q50 which will go on sale later this summer.
• Sales of Infiniti crossovers and SUVs are up 21.8 percent year-to-date.

NOTE: To ensure consistency in global sales reporting, Nissan North America calculates monthly variances on a straight-percentage basis, unadjusted for the number of selling days. June 2013 had 26 selling days, while June 2012 had 27 selling days.