Nissan's green-brand image takes a leap thanks to Leaf

When it comes to green branding, Nissan went downright General Lee this year, vaulting over a host of companies – jumping 16 spots – to reach No. 5 in Interbrand's annual "Best Global Green Brands" survey.

Increased sales for the all-electric Leaf, high safety ratings for the battery electric and Nissan's recent partnership with Ford and Daimler on the development of hydrogen fuel cell drivetrain technology all helped boost Nissan's image among the environmental set. Of course, the Interbrand list was topped by car companies. Toyota, Ford and Honda finished 1-2-3 among green-brand rankings, followed up by Panasonic and then Nissan.

Having cut the Leaf's price earlier this year, Nissan through May almost tripled sales from a year earlier to 7,614 units. Check out Interbrand's write-up here and watch Nissan's video on the subject below.