They may be from opposite ends of the green transport spectrum, but that has not stopped Brompton Bicycle and Nissan teaming up in a move the auto giant described as a "marriage made in heaven".
The iconic bicycle manufacturer has from the start of this year offered the 230 staff at its West London headquarters the chance to purchase Nissan's all-electric LEAF through a tax efficient salary sacrifice scheme.
The companies announced this week that there has already been considerable interest in the scheme from Brompton's employees, with four of the team having taken delivery of new LEAFs and six awaiting new cars.
Brompton said it now plans to install a bank of 10 charge points to support the new cars.
"The team can choose any car they want through the salary sacrifice scheme but of the five who have taken up the scheme so far, four have opted for the LEAF," said Brompton chief executive, Will Butler-Adams OBE, who is himself a LEAF owner. "It's the car everyone likes the best. I guess it's because just like our bike the LEAF is all about function and simplicity - it just works. And just like our bike it's also made in the UK, which is something we're incredibly proud of."
Butler-Adams worked at Nissan's Sunderland plant during a university placement and said the LEAF and the foldable Brompton bikes are complementary technologies.
"The Brompton and the LEAF are perfect companions for each other," he said in a statement. "By itself the LEAF is fantastic but, stick a little bicycle like the Brompton in the boot and it's awesome.
"We all use a car. If I'm going to travel 80 miles, I'm not going to pedal unless I'm doing it for fun at the weekend. If I'm going to take my children to school, I'm not going to stick them all on a bike and cycle 20 miles - it's just too far for them.
"But by combining the LEAF and the Brompton I have the most fabulous commute to work. I drive from my home near Maidenhead to the edge of London, where I park all day for free. Then, I lift out my Brompton and cycle the last seven miles to the office along the Grand Union Canal. It's glorious."
Nissan is targeting the company car and corporate salary sacrifice scheme as a major potential market for the LEAF. The company has long argued that low fuel and maintenance costs make electric vehicles well suited for many corporate fleets, while tax breaks help to strengthen the financial case for offering zero emission cars through company car schemes.
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