Thanks to ongoing efforts from Nissan, driving electric vehicles in Tennessee will soon be twice as nice. Not only is the company preparing to start production of its groundbreaking Leaf electric vehicle—and the Leaf's innovative lithium-ion battery packs—at its assembly complex in Smyrna, but it's also installing 30 solar-powered chargers for the cars, split between Smyrna and Nissan's U.S. corporate headquarters in Franklin.
"Tennessee is Nissan's home in the Americas region," said Carlos Tavares, chairman, Nissan Americas. "These solar-assisted charging stations demonstrate our dedication to a zero-emissions society, and our dedication to bringing innovation to our home in Tennessee."
Funding for the charging stations is coming in part from a matching grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, and Nissan will work with the DOE, as well as the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Tennessee Valley Authority, to evaluate technical data from the project to help expand the country's growing acceptance of electric vehicles like the Leaf.
Already on sale in select markets in the U.S., the Leaf was designed to provide up to 100 miles of all-electric, no-emissions driving, and is EPA certified to achieve the equivalent of 106 mpg city/92 mpg highway/99 mpg combined, with a range of 73 miles. Then, if the Leaf's battery is running low, it can be recharged to 80 percent of its full capacity in as little as 30 minutes at a 480-volt quick-charge station or about 7 hours using a 220-/240-volt charging unit. (It can also be plugged into a standard 110-volt household outlet for approximately 20 hours.)
And with a net cost to consumers of ,280 (after subtracting the current ,500 in federal tax savings), the Leaf can help people drastically lower their environmental footprint without drastically lowering their bank accounts.
For more information on the the Leaf, visit your local Nissan dealership or go online to NissanUSA.com
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