French carmaker Renault and its Japanese partner Nissan announced on Tuesday that they had sold 100 000 electric vehicles, more than all other carmakers combined.
More than 71 000 people worldwide have bought a pure electric five-door Nissan Leaf hatchback.
Renault, meanwhile, has sold about 30 000 electric vehicles, between the Kangoo ZE van, the two-seat Twizy, the Zoe supermini and the Fluence ZE sedan.
The 100 000th customer was an American graduate student who bought a Leaf for her commute to college in Atlanta, Georgia.
The United States is the top market for the Leaf, which is the world's best-selling electric car.
“The age of the mainstream zero-emission vehicle is here.”
Renault and Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn said: “We expect demand to keep growing as the charging infrastructure develops - and we remain 100 percent committed to zero-emission technology in the long term.”
Renault has invested more in battery-car technology than any other manufacturer but consumers have been skittish about the models, put off by the limited battery life of the vehicles and the scarcity of recharging points.
The French government, which offers rebates to buyers of electric and hybrid vehicles, is pushing local authorities to build more charging stations.
Renault and Nissan entered a strategic alliance in 1999 under which Renault owns 43 percent of Nissan, which in turn holds 15 percent of Renault shares. - Sapa-dpa