Nissan has announced a new entry level 52kWh battery version of its Leaf, which is available to order from today. 

It means we might even get to see a Leaf on the road soon, the first examples off the production lines in Sunderland were hastily recalled over faulty batteries and there have been rumours of supply chain issues, but production seems be back on track. 

It must be fine because all these pictures are from the factory – we just need one with a Nissan Leaf holding up today's newspaper. 

The 52kWh version of the Leaf gets an impressive 280-mile WLTP range and starts from £28,849 including the generous £3,750 discount from the government’s electric car grant scheme. 

The entry level Leaf will come in Engage and Advance trims – the Engage gets an impressive level of kit as standard, including 18in alloy wheels, 11kW AC charging, regen paddles, 360-degree parking cameras, adaptive cruise control and a 12.3in touchscreen infotainment system. 

The fancier Advance trim costs £30,849 and adds 14.3in touchscreen infotainment, heated front seats and steering wheel, an electric tailgate, ambient cabin lighting and wireless phone charging. 

The 52kWh battery offers a £3,400 saving over the 75kWh version of the Nissan Leaf, which seems a pretty chunky discount unless you’re really desperate for the latter’s 387 miles of WLTP range. 

Nissan says that production of the right-hand-drive version of the car has already started at its Sunderland factory in the northeast of England and that deliveries will start later in the summer. 

There’s been a lot of focus on Nissan’s Sunderland plant in recent weeks, following news that Nissan was exploring the idea of using spare capacity to build cars for other manufacturers. Chery is in negotiation to have some of its Omoda, Jaecoo and Lepas branded cars assembled on the site, but other carmakers could be exploring the option too. 

It was also rumoured last week that Nissan has abandoned development work on an electric version of its bestselling Qashqai SUV, which could show that the Japanese company’s money worries go further than previously admitted.