The U.S. got a little more green last month with the arrival of the Nissan LEAF. We know many people from the Toledo area have seriously been considering purchasing an electric vehicle, but we realize there are also many questions as well. One such hesitation might be the fact that while expensive, you can find gas stations pretty easily. The good news is, California is leading the way for Electric vehicles and just passed a law which will create more charging stations. We suspect CA will be the first of many states to do so.
It's called the 'Electric Expressway,' and it will feature 200 public fast-charging stations for EVs like the LEAF, and 10,000 plug-in units in 1,000 locations throughout the entire state. This great initiative will not only help EV drivers be able to charge more easily, but it will also help the economy and the creation of jobs, being that the project will take approximately ten years to complete. The price tag you ask: $120-million, which will be footed by Plug In America and the California government. This is a smart investment none-the-less, most importantly in our planet earth. The money itself comes from a settlement with NRG Inc., and CA Governor Edmund Brown, as a result of long-term power contracts signed back in 2001. $100 million will go towards the charging stations, $20 million is to be allocated as rate-payer relief. The best news, the tax payers will not have to pay anything; it's a win win.
In a recent press release, Nissan says they applaud the investment in the Electric Expressway. And they point out, "California is leading the way in fostering the growth of electric cars, such as the zero-emissions Nissan LEAF. More than 40 percent of the 11,000 LEAFS sold in the United States are on the roads in California. Today's landmark commitment...paves the way for widespread adoption of this critical technology."1
Are you interested to find out of Ohio might jump on this bandwagon as well? As soon as we find out, we'll be sure to post it here!
And remember, even though we don't yet have an 'Electric Expressway' in Toledo, there are still plenty of ways to juice-up your all-electric LEAF. Contact Yark Nissan via our website or by phone at 419-842-7417 to learn more about the LEAF or any of the other fuel-efficient new Nissan models in our inventory. We welcome you to come into our dealership located at 5957 West Central Ave Toledo, OH 43615 during our regular business hours to take one for a spin!
Source:1http://nissannews.com/en-US/nissan/usa/releases/statement-nissan-applauds-california-s-120-million-investment-for-creation-of-electric-expressway