WASHINGTON - Officials from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had a chance to test drive the Nissan Leaf this week, according to the Detroit News.

Nissan has had one of its early models in the nation's capital for most of the week, offering test drives to auto reporters and government officials. 

NHTSA Administrator David Strickland, and his deputy, Ron Medford, took the Leaf out for a spin this week, as did Margo Oge, the director of the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Transportation and Air Quality. 

Also driving the Leaf was Lachlan Seward, director of the Energy Department's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing (ATVM) Loan Program.

In addition, Detroit News reported Nissan officials showed the vehicles to staff from the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

Nissan plans to sell 50,000 Leaf vehicles worldwide over the first year, with deliveries to begin late this year. Around 20,000 are expected to be sold in the United States. The vehicle can get up to 100 miles on a single battery charge.