Nissan partners with PAG to build electric car infrastructure
Tucson Green Times – July 2009
Tucson, Ariz. - Nissan North America Inc., which plans to work with Pima Association of Governments to promote electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the Tucson region, announced in early July that Nissan has been conditionally approved by the U.S. Department of Energy for a $1.6 billion loan to modify its Smyrna, Tenn., manufacturing plant.
The loan will help the Nissan plant produce zero emissions vehicles and state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery packs to power them.
The U.S. Department of Energy loan is among the first three loans under the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program, a $25 billion program authorized by Congress under Section 136 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
In addition to working with Pima Association of Governments and Arizona-based ECOtality Inc. to promote charging infrastructure, Nissan has committed to make available a supply of electric vehicles to the region’s public and private fleets in 2010. Nissan plans to offer electric vehi-
cles in the United States and Japan beginning in late 2010. The first vehicles for the U.S. market will be built in Japan before production is shifted to Smyrna in 2012.
Pima Association of Governments’ Clean Cities program is working with ECOtality and Nissan to establish a working group to identify infrastructure locations that will be in place by 2010 for the rollout of the new electric vehicles.
“This investment in Nissan is positive not only for the company and job creation in Smyrna, but also for the U.S. economy and, ultimately, the Tucson region as our electric vehicle infrastructure unfolds,“ said Colleen Crowninshield, manager of the Clean Cities program. “The U.S. DOE’s award helps support the build-out of electric vehicles in this country and shows its commitment to reducing American’s dependence on foreign oil.”
Pima Association of Governments is an association of local, state and tribal governments with a mission to build consensus among its members and the public on regional planning for transportation, air quality and water quality. PAG’s staff gather and analyze data, provide accurate information, and coordinate an open and cooperative planning process to promote good decision making for the region.
For more information, visit online www.PAGnet.org.
